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THE  UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

LIBRARY 


THE  WILMER  COLLECTION 

OF  CIVIL  WAR  NOVELS 

PRESENTED  BY 

RICHARD  H.  WILMER,  JR. 


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^Y  OLIVER  OPT' t 

AT  THE  FRONT 


The  Blue  and  the   Gray  —  On  Land 


AT     THE     FRONT 


OLIVER  OPTIC 


AUTHOR  OF  "  THE   ARMY  AND   NAVY  SERIES  "  "  YOUNG   AMERICA  ABROAD,  FIRST 

AND  SECOND   SERIES"  "  THE    BOAT-CLUB   STORIES  "    "  THE  GREAT  WESTERN 

series"     "the    WOODVILLE    stories"     "the    ONWARD    AND    UPWARD 

series"    "the   lake   SHORE   SERIES"  "  THE  YACHT-CLUB   SERIES" 

"  THE    RIVERDALE    STORIES  "      "  THE    BOAT-BUILDER    SERIES  " 

"the     blue      AND     THE     GRAY —  AFLOAT"      "a     MISSING 

million"    "a    MILLIONAIRE   AT  SIXTEEN"  "a   YOUNG 

KNIGHT-ERRANT  "    "  STRANGE    SIGHTS    ABROAD" 

"the   YOUNG   navigators"  "  UP    AND   DOWN 

THE  NILE  "  "  ASIATIC  BREEZES  "  "  ACROSS 

INDIA"  "  HALF  ROUND    THE    WORLD  " 

"  FOUR  YOUNG  EXPLORERS  "  "  THE 

BLUE    AND    THE    GRAY —  ON 

LAND  "  ETC.,  ETC.,  ETC. 


BOSTON 
LEE    AND    SHEPARD    PUBLISHERS 

lO     MILK     STREET 
1897 


Copyright,  1897,  by  Lee  and  Shepard 


Allrights  reserved 


At  the  Front 


C.  J.  Peteks  &  Son,  Typogeaphers,  Boston,  U.S.A. 


Berwick  &  Smith,  Pkintees,  Noewoou  Peess. 


TO 

MY   FRIEXD   AND    FELLOW-LABORER   IN   THE   VINEYARD, 

MR.  EMERY  CLEAVES, 

A    SOLDIER   OF    THE    GREAT    REBELLION   TO    ■\V1I0M 

I    AM    INDEBTED    FOR    VALUABLE 

MILITARY   ASSISTANCE, 

Cfjts  ITohtme 

IS   RESPECTFULLY   AND   GRATEFULLY 
DEDICATED. 


PREFACE 


"At  the  Front"  is  the  fifth  of  the  series  of 
"  The  Blue  and  the  Gray  —  on  Land,"  and  the 
last  but  one  of  the  six  volumes.  It  is  a  contin- 
uation of  the  narrative  contained  in  the  preced- 
ing books,  wherein  is  given  the  history  of  the 
Riverlawn  Regiment  from  the  formation  of  the 
two  companies  as  a  squadron,  in  which  it  ren- 
dered its  first  service  for  the  preservation  of  the 
Union,  till  in  the  present  volume  it  becomes  a 
full  cavalry  regiment  of  twelve  companies,  with 
three  battalions,  a  colonel,  a  lieutenant-colonel, 
and  three  majors. 

In  July,  1862,  about  four  months  after  the 
battle  of  Pittsburg  Landing,  General  Buell,  com- 
manding the  Army  of  the  Ohio,  wrote  to  head- 
quarters at  Washington  as  follows :  "  I  cannot 
err  in  repeating  to  you  the  urgent  importance  of 
a    larger    cavalry    force    in    this     district.       The 

7 


8  PEEFACE 

enemy  is  throwing  an  immense  cavalry  force  on 
the  four  hundred  miles  of  railroad  communica- 
tion upon  which  this  army  is  dependent  for  sup- 
plies." As  if  in  direct  response  to  this  urgent 
call,  the  people  of  Kentucky  took  up  the  matter. 
It  used  to  be  said  many  years  ago  that  the  gen- 
uine Kentuckian  was  "half  horse  and  half  alh- 
gator;"  and  however  it  may  be  in  regard  to  the 
saurian  portion  of  him,  he  is  still  rather  more 
than  half  horse,  for  one  of  the  principal  indus- 
tries of  the  State  is  the  raising  of  the  finest  horses 
in  the  country. 

The  companies  of  the  Riverlawns,  with  the  bat- 
tery attached,  were  sent  back  to  the  State  where 
the  command  had  been  raised;  and  there  was  an 
urgent  need  for  them,  for  the  Confederacy  had  be- 
gun upon  a  desperate  effort  to  recover  the  State 
of  Kentucky,  which  might  place  the  cities  of 
Louisville  and  Cincinnati  within  the  reach  of  the 
Southern  armies,  as  well  as  the  rich  and  fertile 
States  to  the  north  of  the  Ohio.  While  the 
armies  of  Bragg  and  Kirby  Smith  were  invading 
the  State,  numerous  bodies  of  guerillas  came 
into    Kentucky    from    Tennessee    and    elsewhere, 


PREFACE  9 

and  began  a  war  of  plunder  and  rapine.  The 
fii-st  business  of  the  newly  organized  regiment, 
with  the  batteiy  still  attached  to  it,  was  to  drive 
out  these  maraudei'S.  The  command  did  some 
rapid  marching,  encountered  the  enemy  on  sev- 
eral occasions,  and  did  its  full  share  in  remove* 
ing  the  pests  from  the  soil  of  Kentucky. 

Perhaps  the  personal  history  of  the  characters 
before  introduced  may  interest  our  younger  read- 
ers more  than  the  details  of  battles  and  skir- 
mishes. In  the  enlargement  of  the  regiment, 
most,  if  not  all,  of  them  have  risen  to  higher  rank. 
They  have  been  engaged  in  some  sharp  engage- 
ments, and  they  have  done  credit  to  themselves ; 
and  they  owe  their  promotion  to  their  conduct 
on  the  field  of  battle  as  well  as  to  their  strict 
adherence  to  the  line  of  duty.  But  none  of  them 
have  been  permitted  to  do  any  impossible  things. 
All  of  them  have  not  escaped  the  perils  of  the 
field,  and  even  the  colonel  had  to  lie  some  weeks 
upon  his  bed  from  the  effects  of  a  severe  wound. 

If  Deck  Lyon  escaped  in  the  several  severe 
engagements  in  which  he  took  a  prominent  part, 
it  was  not  because  he  kept  himself  in  a  safe  place ; 


10  PREFACE 

for  the  most  dangerous  place  on  the  field  seemed 
to  belong  to  him,  and  he  always  occupied  it  if 
his  orders  would  permit.  If  he  was  the  hero  of 
any  especial  achievement,  he  gave  the  greater 
credit  for  it  to  the  wonderful  pluck,  intelligence, 
and  skill  of  Ceph,  the  horse  he  had  trained  from 
his  ponyhood.  He  loved  this  animal  as  though 
he  had  been  a  human  being;  and  he  treated  him 
as  one  of  the  family,  never  failing  to  look  out 
for  him  in  camp  or  on  the  march.  And  the 
steed  was  as  affectionate  towards  his  master  as 
though  he  perfectly  understood  the  relation  that 
subsisted  between  them.  Deck  regarded  Ceph 
as  part  of  himself,  and  he  would  not  have  thought 
of  riding  any  other  steed  in  an  engagement;  and 
whatever  good  fortune  came  to  him,  he  attrib- 
uted one-half  of  it  to  the  intelligent  animal. 

When  the  guerillas  were  driven  out  of  Ken- 
tucky, the  regiment  was  sent  to  Nashville,  which 
city  it  was  believed  that  Bragg  would  attempt  to 
capture ;  and  it  was  engaged  in  various  services 
till  ordered  to  Murfreesboro.  The  battle  of  Stone 
River  soon  followed;  but  before  the  engagement 
the  regiment  was  occupied  in  clearing  the  roads 


PREFACE  11 

in  the  vicinity,  which  had  been  fortified  in  many 
places  by  the  enemy.  When  the  force  had  been 
sent  to  the  defence  of  Columbia  before  the  com- 
mand had  been  fully  organized,  Colonel  Lyon, 
recalling  the  valuable  services  of  the  riflemen 
who  had  joined  his  command  at  the  battle  of 
Mill  Spring,  succeeded  in  enlisting  a  full  com- 
pany of  these  sharpshooters,  noted  throughout 
the  county  in  which  they  resided  as  "dead 
shots  ; "  and  in  all  the  engagements  in  which 
they  took  part,  they  proved  to  be  one  of  the 
most  important  arms  of  the  service.  The  series 
of  actions  at  Stone  River  resulted  in  the  retreat 
of  the  enemy ;  and  for  months  our  heroes  were 
engaged  in  detached  duty,  serving  in  some  of 
the  battles  which  followed.  Again  returning  my 
hearty  thanks  to  those  who  have  encouraged 
my  work  for  over  forty  years,  I  say  adieu  in 
order  to  finish  the  series. 

WiLLiAJvi  T.  Adams. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER   I. 

PAGE 

Organizing  the  New  Regiment 17 

CHAPTER  II. 
The  Veterans  and  the  Recruits 31 

CHAPTER  III. 
Captain  Life  Knox  is  Importunate 44 

CHAPTER  IV. 
The  March  to  Columbia 57 

CHAPTER  V. 
Preparations  for  the  Defence    .......       70 

CHAPTER  VI. 
Tee  Charge  of  the  Enemy  on  the  Hill      ...      84 

CHAPTER  VII. 
A  Break  in  the  Enemy's  Columns 97 

CHAPTER   VIII. 

The  Final  Result  of  the  Battle Ill 

13 


14    .  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  IX. 

PAGE 

The  Wounded  Confederate  Major 125 

CHAPTER  X. 

PUEPABING    FOR  THE   INVASION 138 

CHAPTER   XI. 
Seeking  Information  of  the  Enemy 151 

CHAPTER  XII. 
The  Expedition  of  the  Three  Scouts 164 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
Using  the  Telegraph  at  Night ITT 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
The  Opening  of  the  Engagement 190 

CHAPTER  XV. 
Some  Details  of  the  Battle 203 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
Major  Bornwood's  Prediction 217 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
The  Final  Retreat  of  the  Enemy 230 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
A  Guerilla  Raid  from  over  the  River  ....    243 

CHAPTER   XIX. 
Grace  Morgan  and  the  Guerilla 256 


CONTENTS  15 

CHAPTER   XX. 

PAGE 

Tardy  Movements  of  the  Enemy 269 

CHAPTER   XXI. 
The  Capture  of  the  Fiiist  Guerillas      ....    281 

CHAPTER   XXII. 
Surrender  of  the  Guerilla  Chief 293 

CHAPTER   XXIII. 
The  Disposal  of  the  Prisoners 304 

CHAPTER   XXIV. 
The  Boot  on  the  Other  Leg 317 

CHAPTER   XXV. 
The  Obnoxious  Citizen  on  the  Hill 330 

CHAPTER   XXVI. 
The  Search  for  Greeger  Lake 343 

CHAPTER   XXVII. 
The  Lake  and  the  Guerillas  found 35G 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 
The  Engagement  at  Greeger  Lake 369 

CHAPTER   XXIX. 
The  Gibbet-Tree  by  the  Knob 383 

CHAPTER   XXX.       . 
Disciplining  the  Guerilla  Chief 396 


16  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER   XXXI. 

PAGE 

Major  Lyon's  March  into  Tennessee 409 

CHAPTER   XXXII. 
Beck  resorts  to  a  "Yankee  Trick"    .     .    .     .     .    422 

CHAPTER   XXXIII. 
Before  the  Battle  of  Stone  River     .....     435 

CHAPTER   XXXIV. 
The  Opening  of  the  Great  Battle 448 

CHAPTER   XXX Y. 
"Warm  Praise  for  the  Riflemen 461 

CHAPTER   XXXVI. 
The  Result  of  the  Great  Battle 474 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 


"  The  first  one  burst  in  the  very  midst  of  the 

COMPANY " Frontispiece 

PAGE 
"  He    ROSE    FROM   THE   GROUND  " 136 

"I'll  tell  you  all  I  know" 166 

"  The  son  kneeled  at  the  side  of  his  father,"  240 

"What  be  you  gwine  to  do  about  it?"       .  .  264 

"He  was  hit  in  the  head" 319 

"They  threw  a  rope  over  one  of  the  limbs"    .  378 


AT   THE   FRONT    ' 


CHAPTER   I 

OEGANIZENG    THE  NEW    REGEVIENT 

It  was  the  middle  of  August  when  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Noah  Lyon,  commanding  the  Riverlawn 
Cavalry,  to  which  Major  Batterson's  battery  of 
light  artillery  was  attached,  encamped  for  the 
night  at  Barcreek,  on  the  plantation  from  which 
the  battalion  had  derived  its  name.  The  com- 
mand had  been  a  portion  of  General  Woodbine's 
brigade,  which  had  taken  an  active  part  in  the 
bloody  battle  of  Pittsburg  Landing,  or  Shiloh  as 
it  was  called  in  the  South,  and  had  been  kept  ex- 
ceedingly busy  in  the  division  of  General  Nelson 
at  the  siege  of  Corinth,  even  to  the  last  minute 

17 


18  AT    THE    FRONT 

when   the    enemy  had   suddenly  blown  up   their 
works,  and  fled  m  hot  haste  farther  south. 

The  brigade  had  been  engaged  while  it  was 
still  a  part  of  General  Nelson's  division  in  build- 
ing bridges  destroyed  by  the  eneni}-,  and  repairing 
railroads  torn  up,  until  the  State  of  Kentucky 
was  menaced  by  large  bodies  of  Confederate 
forces  in  the  east,  and  it  was  believed  that  Gen- 
erals Bragg  and  Kirljy  Smith  were  moving  in 
the  direction  of  the  Ohio  River,  either  for  the 
recovery  of  the  State,  or  the  capture  of  Cincin- 
nati, or  for  both  of  these  objects.  These  grand 
operations  seemed  to  be  foreshadowed  by  the  ap- 
pearance of  many  bodies  of  guerillas,  larger  in 
numbers  and  better  organized  than  most  of  those 
with  which  the  Riverlawn  Cavalry  had  before  con- 
tended, in  Kentucky  and  in  various  sections  of 
Tennessee.  JNIorgan  had  made  an  extensive  raid 
through  the  border  State,  destroying  vast  amounts 
of  United  States  property,  capturing  towns,  plun- 
dering plantations  of  stock  and  provisions.  This 
vigorous  leader  was  a  genius  in  this  kind  of  Mork, 
and  the  Federal  stores  taken  by  him  or  destroyed 
were  estimated  at  over  a  million  dollars  in  value. 


m 

NcU 


ORGANIZING    THE    NEW    REGIMENT  19 

The  history  of  his  raid  and  subsequent  operations, 
even  on  the  north  side  of  the  Ohio,  was  romantic 
in  its  boldness  and  daring. 

At  about  the  same  time,  Forrest  was  operating 
on  a  smaller  scale  in  Tennessee,  though  with  not 
less  vigor  and  daring.  It  was  evident  enough 
that  Kentucky,  to  say  nothing  of  the  States  on 
the  other  side  of  the  Ohio,  was  in  imminent  peril. 
Inspired  by  the  example  of  these  vigorous  and 
daring  leaders,  many  sections  of  country  between 
the  Ohio  and  the  Tennessee  were  raided  by  less 
spirited  bodies  of  guerillas.  Nelson  was  taken 
from  his  division,  and  sent  to  the  interior  of  the 
State  of  Kentucky  to  organize  troops  for  the 
defence  of  the  region,  and  to  protect  Cincinnati 
from  the  approach  of  Generals  Bragg  and  Kirljy 
Smith. 

It  was  evident  that  the  Riverlawn  Cavalry 
was  needed  at  home.  It  was  plain  that  there 
was  an  abundance  of  just  such  work  as  that  in 
which  it  had  been  largely  engaged  before  the 
battle  of  Mill  Spring,  and  in  the  interim  between 
that  affair  and  the  departure  of  Nelson's  division 
to  take  part  in  the  battle  of    Pittsburg  Landing 


20  AT    THE    FRONT 

and  the  operations  at  Corintli.  Evidently  with 
the  intention  of  increasing  the  force  of  the  battal- 
ion, Major  Lyon  had  been  promoted  to  the  rank 
of  lieutenant-colonel ;  and  his  command,  with  the 
battery  attached,  were  ordered  to  Kentucky,  and 
directed  to  report  at  Munfordville,  on  Green 
River,  about  thirty  miles  from  the  plantation  of 
Colonel  Lyon,  where  he  had  encamped  for  the 
night.  In  the  expectation  that  important  events 
were  about  to  occur,  the  commander  marched  at 
daylight  the  next  morning,  and  hurried  his  force 
so  that  he  arrived  at  his  destination  early  in  the 
forenoon. 

"  Colonel  Lyon,  I  am  glad  to  see  you,"  said 
an  officer,  wearing  the  uniform  of  the  staff,  as 
he  extended  his  hand  to  the  commander.  "  You 
have  made  good  time  from  MacMinnville,  and 
I  did  not  expect  to  see  you  so  soon." 

"I  understood  that  the  State  was  in  peril,  and 
I  have  lost  no  time  on  the  road,"  replied  Colonel 
Lyon,  taking  the  extended  hand  of  the  staff-offi- 
cer, whose  shoulder-straps  indicated  that  he  was 
a  major.  "May  I  ask  whom  I  have  the  honor 
of  addressing  ?  " 


ORGANIZING  THE   NEW   REGIMENT  21 

"  Pardon  me  for  not  introducing  myself  be- 
fore ;  but  I  was  so  much  pleased  to  see  you 
here  so  soon,  that  1  neglected  the  formalities  of 
the  occasion.  Allow  me  to  make  myself  known 
as  Major  Richard  Bornwood,  of  the  staff  of  Major- 
General  Buell,"  continued  the  officer,  extending 
his  hand  again. 

"  I  am  very  happy  to  know  you,  Major  Born- 
wood,"  replied  the  colonel,  taking  the  offered 
hand,  and  pressing  it  warmly.  "I  suppose  you 
are  the  bearer  of  orders  for  me ;  and  I  am  par- 
ticularly glad  to  see  you,  for  I  do  not  wish  to 
lose  any  time  in  entering  upon  my  mission  in 
my  own  State,  and  I  feared  that  I  might  be  kept 
waiting  for  my  orders." 

"  The  general  is  in  as  much  of  a  hurry  to  have 
you  and  your  brilliant  command  in  the  field  as 
you  can  possibly  be,  though  there  will  be  some 
delay  in  reorganizing  your  force,  in  which  some 
considerable  changes  will  be  made  ;  and  I  have 
the  pleasure  of  presenting  to  you  this  document 
from  the  War  Department,"  added  Major  Born- 
wood,  taking  from  a  satchel  suspended  over  his 
shoulder  an  official  document,  as  the  envelope  in- 


22  AT   THE   FRONT 

dicated,  and  presenting  it  to  the  commander  of 
the  battalion. 

Colonel  Lyon  looked  at  the  ponderous  enve- 
lope, and  read  his  name  upon  it.  He  was  a 
modest  man,  and  he  could  not  imagine  the  nature 
of  its  contents.  He  had  very  recently  been  pro- 
moted to  the  rank  of  lieutenant-colonel,  and  he 
did  not  hope  for  or  exj)ect  any  further  advance- 
ment. He  had  been  faithful  in  the  discharge  of 
his  duties  as  major  in  command  of  the  battalion ; 
and  when  promoted  two  weeks  before,  he  honestly 
believed  that  his  rank  exceeded  his  military  merit. 

"Do  you  happen  to  know  the  contents  of  this 
envelope.  Major  Born  wood  ? "  he  asked,  very 
much  like  a  schoolgirl  who  wishes  to  know  what 
is  in  her  letter  before  she  opens  it. 

"  I  do  know  its  contents,  and  by  opening  it 
you  will  be  as  wise  as  I  am,"  replied  the  staff- 
officer,  laughing  at  the  hesitation  of  the  colonel. 

The  recipient  of  the  document  tore  open  the 
envelope,  and  found  that  it  contained  a  commis- 
sion as  a  colonel  of  cavalry.  He  was  absolutely 
amazed ;  and  he  could  not  see  why  he  should 
receive  the  full  rank  of  the  commander  of  a  regi- 


ORGANIZING   THE   NEW   REGIMENT  23 

ment,  when  he  was  in  charge  of  only  three 
companies  of  cavalry. 

"  I  cannot  accept  this  commission,"  said  he, 
after  he  had  meditated  for  a  few  minutes.  "  It 
should  be  given  to  a  better  man  than  I  am,  a 
more  competent  commander." 

"There  is  no  such  man  in  the  army!"  ex- 
claimed the  major  with  a  great  deal  of  energy. 
"  General  Nelson  says  more  than  this  of  you." 

Colonel  Lyon  bit  his  lips,  and  seemed  to  be 
very  much  embarrassed.  He  had  certainly  never 
turned  his  back  to  the  enemy  in  battle,  or  hesi- 
tated to  lead  his  command  into  the  most  perilous 
portions  of  the  field.  As  a  strategist  he  had 
always  manifested  decided  ability;  and  if  not 
brilliant,  he  had  more  than  once  distinguished 
himself  by  his  successful  results. 

"I  can  point  to  one  in  my  command  who  is 
more  worthy  of  this  position  than  I  am,"  added 
the  colonel,  when  he  had  considered  the  matter 
still  more. 

"  Who  is  he  ?  "  demanded  the  staff-officer. 

"  Captain  Gordon,  in  command  of  my  first  com- 
pany," replied  the  colonel. 


2-1  AT   THE   FRONT 

"A  very  able  and  meritorious  officer;  and  he 
has  not  been  forgotten,  as  you  will  learn  before 
your  command  is  newly  organized.  If  I  should 
tell  you  what  others  say  of  you,  men  of  elevated 
rank,  who  have  seen  you  at  Pittsburg  Landing 
and  at  Corinth,  you  would  not  hesitate  to  accept 
this  commission.  Let  me  add,  that  if  you  de- 
cline to  take  the  rank  to  which  you  are  clearly 
entitled,  I  cannot  carry  out  the  mission  on  which 
I  am  sent  into  Kentucky,  and  that  will  involve  a 
delay  of  at  least  two  weeks,  if  not  a  month.  I 
have  three  companies  of  cavalry  recruits  here, 
and  they  are  to  be  mustered  into  the  service  to- 
day or  to-morrow.  They  are  fully  equal  to  the 
men  in  your  ranks  now." 

"  I  accept  the  commission  after  what  you  say ; 
for  I  cannot  subject  the  service  to  the  delay 
which  you  indicate,"  replied  Colonel  Lyon,  fixing 
his  gaze  on  the  ground,  as  though  he  was  ashamed 
to  yield  the  point. 

"  You  are  as  honest  as  you  are  modest,  Colonel, 
and  I  thank  you  for  relieving  me  from  the  embar- 
rassment to  which  your  declension  would  subject 
me." 


ORGANIZING    THE   NEW   EEGIMENT  25 

"If  I  consulted  my  own  feelings  only,  I  should 
persist  in  declining  this  promotion ;  but  I  can- 
not do  anything  to  embarrass  the  service,"  added 
the  commander.  "  I  yield  to  your  eloquence, 
Major,  rather  than  to  my  o^vn  judgment." 

"  I  thank  you  for  the  compliment,  and  I  am' 
greatly  obliged  to  you  for  opening  the  way  for 
me  to  discharge  the  duty  which  brought  me  to 
Kentucky ;  and  I  am  confident  that  the  State  Avill 
be  benefited  by  your  final  decision  in  this  mat- 
ter." 

"  You  say  that  you  have  three  companies  here 
ready  to  be  mustered  into  the  service,  j\lajor 
Bornwood,"  continued  Colonel  Lyon,  anxious  to 
bring  the  business  of  the   day  to  a  head. 

"  Three  companies  here,  and  another  on  the 
way,  the  last  from  the  home  of  one  of  your  lieu- 
tenants and  its  vicinity;  and  let  me  add  that 
Lieutenant  Knox  raised  the  company  himself." 

"Then  it  was  for  this  service  that  he  had  two 
weeks'  leave  of  absence,"  added  the  colonel,  with 
a  smile. 

"  Precisely  so.  General  Buell  has  made  very 
strong    representations    to    the    War   Department 


26  AT    THE    FRONT 

of  his  absolute  need  of  more  and  better  cavalry 
than  he  lias  had  in  the  past,  and  an  earnest  effort 
has  been  made  to  enlist  more  men  in  this  arm. 
The  belief  that  the  State  is  to  be  invaded  by  an 
army  of  the  enemy  has  stimulated  recruiting  of 
both  cavalry  and  infantry.  You  will  have  seven 
companies  in  the  course  of  two  or  three  days, 
and  we  hope  to  add  three  more  in  the  course 
of  a  month.  Now,  Colonel  Lyon,  if  you  will 
form  your  battalion,  including  the  battery,  I  will 
read  to  the  men  the  orders  I  have  brought  from 
the  general,"  said  Major  Bornwood,  as  he  took 
a  number  of  papers  from  his  satchel,  several  of 
which  were  in  envelopes,  and  looked  as  though 
they  might  contain  commissions. 

The  command  was  formed  in  a  hollow  square. 
Colonel  Lyon  dismounted,  and  took  a  position 
with  the  staff-officer  within  the  square.  The  com- 
mander then  introduced  Major  Bornwood,  of  the 
staff  of  General  Buell,  who  would  announce  cer- 
tain changes  to  be  made  in  the  command.  The 
men  cheered  him  lustily,  and  the  officer  acknowl- 
edged the  compliment  gracefully.  The  staff-offi- 
cer then  proceeded  to  give  the  command  all  the 


ORGANIZING    THE    NEW    EEGIMENT  li  ( 

information  which  he  had  communicated  to  the 
colonel  concerning  the  forming  of  a  new  regi- 
ment, stating  that  three  companies  were  present 
which  would  be  immediately  mustered  in,  and 
that  another  would  arrive  at  Munfordville  within 
twenty-four  hours. 

"  Your  commander  is  now  a  colonel,  promoted 
from  the  rank  of  lieutenant-colonel,"  continued 
the  staff-officer.  '"  I  have  already  had  the  pleas- 
ure of  presenting  to  him  his  commission  ;  and  I 
am  confident  that  such  a  promotion  could  not 
have  been  tendered  to  a  more  worthy,  brave,  and 
skilful  officer." 

The  command  could  wait  to  hear  no  more, 
but  broke  out  into  the  most  lusty  volleys  of  ap- 
plause, which  was  continued  some  time,  and  then 
ended  in  a  vigorous  clapping  of  hands,  the  mem- 
bers of  the  batteiy  being  as  demonstrative  as  the 
cavalry. 

"  Will  Captain  Batterson  of  the  battery  oblige 
me  by  stepping  forward  ? "  the  speaker  pro- 
ceeded. 

The  commander  of  the  artillery  dismounted, 
and  walked  to  the  front  of  the  staff-officer. 


28  AT   THE    FRONT 

"  Captain  Batterson,  your  merit  in  command 
of  the  artillery  while  attached  to  the  cavalry 
command  of  Colonel  Lyon  has  been  neither  for- 
gotten nor  overlooked;  and  I  have  the  pleasure 
of  addressing  you  as  Major  Batterson,  and  of 
handing  to  you  this  commission,  which  raises  you 
to  that  rank." 

The  major  took  the  envelope,  bowed  and  thanked 
the  officer,  retiring  to  his  command  amid  the  gen- 
erous applause  of  the  entire  body. 

"  Will  Captain  Gordon  step  to  the  front  ? " 
continued  Major  Bornwood. 

The  captain  presented  himself,  and  appeared 
to  be  quite  as  much  astonished  at  the  calling  of 
his  name  as  Major  Batterson  had  been. 

"  Captain  Gordon,  if  Colonel  Lyon  had  insisted 
upon  having  his  own  way,  you  would  have  been 
the  colonel  of  the  new  regiment,"  said  the  staff- 
officer ;  "  and  he  accepted  his  commission  against 
his  own  inclination.  As  it  is,  I  have  the  pleas- 
ure of  presenting  to  you  your  commission  as 
lieutenant-colonel  of  the  regiment." 

Colonel  Gordon  took  the  envelope  amid  the 
applause    of   the    command,    bowing   low   to    the 


OEGANIZING   THE    NEW    REGIMENT  29 

officer,  and,  with  his  thanks,  retired  to  the  head 
of  his  company. 

"Captain  Dexter  Lyon,  late  of  General  Wood- 
bine's staff,  will  oblige  me  by  coming  this  way," 
added  iNIajor  Bornwood. 

Deck  had  been  ntterly  astounded  when  he  was 
made  a  captain;  and  he  believed  he  had  rank 
enough  to  last  him  till  the  end  of  the  war,  and 
he  could  not  understand  why  he  was  called  for- 
ward. 

"  Captain  Lyon,  I  have  heard  of  you  before, 
and  I  saw  you  at  Pittsburg  Landing.  Though 
you  are  young  in  years,  you  are  old  in  ability; 
and  I  assure  you,  and  your  father  at  my  side, 
that  it  affords  me  peculiar  pleasure  to  be  able  to 
address  you  as  Major  Lyon,  for  which  the  com- 
mission I  now  hand  to  you  will  afford  me  full 
justification.  I  congratulate  you  on  the  promo- 
tion that  now  comes  to  you,  and  I  congratulate 
the  new  regiment  on  having  such  a  brave  and 
skilful  officer." 

Deck  took  the  envelope,  and  tried  to  say 
something,  but  burst  into  tears,  completely  over- 
come by  the  new  honor  which  had  come   to  him 


30  AT   THE   FRONT 

unsought  by  liimself  or  by  his  father.  If  it  were 
possible,  the  cheers  and  the  applause  were  more 
vigorous  and  longer  continued  than  at  any  time 
before.  He  could  do  nothing  but  weep,  and  his 
father  had  to  wipe  away  his  tears. 


THE    VETERANS    AND    THE    llEeUUlTS  31 


CHAPTER  II 

THE   VETERANS    AND    THE    RECRUITS 

Everybody  present  on  the  field  where  Major 
Bornwood  was  engaged  in  reorganizing  the  com- 
mand knew  that  Deck  Lyon  was  not  a  baby, 
and  that  he  '•'•  was  no  cliicken."  But  they  were 
astonished  to  see  one  who  had  always  been  the 
bravest  of  the  brave,  and  always  in  the  foremost 
of  the  battle,  whom  they  had  been  in  the  habit 
of  seeing  in  hand-to-hand  encounters  with  the 
enemy, — they  were  astonished  to  see  him  weep- 
ing as  though  his  heart  were  broken,  instead  of 
rejoicing  at  the  latest  of  the  rapid  promotions 
which  had  attended  his  career  in  the  army.  The 
young  officer  could  not  have  explained  why  he 
wept  if  he  had  tried ;  why  his  feelings  had  over- 
come him  at  the  very  moment  of  his  greatest 
triumph.  He  had  become  a  captain,  and  he  had 
not  the  remotest  suspicion  that  he  could  be  pro- 
moted again.     He  was  verging  on  his  nineteenth 


32  AT    THE    FRONT 

year;  but  he  believed  he  had  gone  as  high  in 
rank  as  he  coukl  go,  and,  like  his  father,  he  be- 
lieved that  he  had  already  obtained  more  than 
he  deserved. 

While  he  wept,  the  entire  command  cheered 
and  applauded  to  the  extent  of  every  man's  ca- 
pacity. The  cavalrymen  who  had  fought  with 
him  in  many  actions,  who  had  been  inspired  by 
his  heroism  and  daring,  believed  that  he  de- 
served his  promotion,  and  would  have  deserved 
it  if  he  had  been  made  a  colonel  instead  of  a 
major.  Some  of  his  followers  declared  that  it 
made  brave  men  of  cowards  when  they  saw  the 
young  lieutenant  engaged  in  single  combat  with 
Confederate  officere.  Three  times  at  least  they 
had  seen  him  ride  over  his  opponent,  as  it  were, 
and  bring  both  horse  and  rider  to  the  ground. 
But  the  young  soldier  always  insisted  that  it  was 
his  horse  that  accomplished  these  daring  feats  of 
arms ;  for  he  had  trained  Ceph,  as  Alexander  the 
Great  had  broken  in  Bucephalus,  whose  name,  in 
abbreviated  form,  he  had  given  to  his  favorite 
steed.  The  hoi-se  had  been  taught  to  leap  over 
any  obstruction  in  his  path ;  and  he  would  obey 


THE    VETERANS    AND    THE    RECRUITS  33 

the  mandate  of  Deck,  or  at  least  attempt  to  obey 
it,  whether  the  object  was  a  log,  a  four-rail  fence, 
or  a  mounted  trooper.  Deck  had  been  advised 
by  his  superior  officers  not  to  resort  to  this  peril- 
ous expedient,  and  he  had  determined  not  to  do 
so  unless  in  a  case  of  emergency.  Near  the  close 
of  the  first  day  at  Pittsburg  Landing,  he  had 
been  ordered  by  the  commander  of  the  brigade 
to  take  the  place  of  Captain  Gordon,  who  had 
been  seriously  wounded,  and  had  dropped  from 
his  horse.  Deck  rallied  the  men,  and  placed  liim- 
self  at  the  head  of  the  company,  confronting  a 
cavalry'  command  led  by  a  daring  young  officer, 
mounted  on  a  small  horse,  who  attacked  him 
with  all  the  vigor  of  a  fiery  nature. 

Captain  Lyon  defended  himself  bravely  and 
skilfully;  but  his  opponent  seemed  determined  to 
kill  him  as  the  only  step  by  which  he  could 
make  any  further  progress  in  repelling  the  charge. 
Deck  regarded  the  situation  as  the  emergency 
which  justified  him  in  disregarding  the  advice  of 
his  friends  and  superiors ;  and  he  drew  back,  giv- 
ing Cepli  his  signals.  The  horse  was  as  brave 
and  daring  as  his  rider;  and  he  made  a  desper- 


34  AT   THE    FilONT 

ate  spring"  forward,  mounted  high  in  the  air  on 
his  hind  feet,  as  the  young  officer  advanced 
again,  and  then  came  down  upon  the  captain,  as 
Deck  struck  him  on  the  head  witli  his  sabre. 
Horse  and  rider  went  down,  and  the  Confederate 
never  rose  again.  The  second  company  struck 
the  enemy  on  the  opposite  flank,  and  the  two 
swept  their  opponents  from  the  field. 

The  movement  on  the  part  of  the  enemy  was 
a  flank  movement,  by  which  a  large  force  was  to 
turn  the  left  of  the  Union  army,  and  cover  the 
ground  for  which  they  had  been  fighting  all  da3\ 
Not  a  few  declared  that  this  brave  chai'ge  had 
saved  the  day  in  its  waning  hour  to  the  nation, 
and  was  the  prelude  of  the  victory  won  the  fol- 
lowing day  when  General  Buell  brought  his  di- 
visions upon  the  field.  General  Woodbine  had 
witnessed  the  charge  of  the  Riverlawn  Cavalry, 
and  esj)ecially  the  affray  at  single  hand  which 
had  turned  the  tide  of  battle.  He  was  filled 
with  admiration  at  the  heroic  conduct  of  Cap- 
tain Lyon,  and  it  was  the  key  to  his  latest 
promotion. 

General  Buell,  after  the  siege  of  Corinth,  when 


THE   VETERANS   AND   THE   EECRUITS  35 

the  brigade  was  at  MacMinnville,  had  sent  for  the 
general,  for  consultation  in  regard  to  the  situa- 
tion in  Kentucky.  More  cavalry  was  the  press- 
ing need  there,  and  the  brigadier  had  suggested 
all  that  had  been  done  at  Munfordville  on  the 
arrival  of  the  force  under  Colonel  Lyon.  He 
was  entirely  familiar  with  all  the  affairs  of  the 
battalion,  and  knew  the  merits  of  all  the  officei"S, 
even  to  the  sergeants  and  corporals.  He  had 
furnished  all  the  names  for  promotion.  There 
had  been  from  the  first  appearance  in  the  field 
of  the  Riverlawn  Cavalry  a  long  list  of  appli- 
cants for  enrolment  as  privates  in  the  two  com- 
panies, so  that  the  ranks  had  always  kept  full. 

Soon  after  the  retreat  of  the  enemy  from  Cor- 
inth, officers  had  been  sent  into  Kentucky  by  Gen- 
eral Buell  to  recruit  for  cavalry  service.  The 
men  gathered  at  Munfordville  were  the  fruit  of 
their  exertions.  When  it  was  understood  that 
the  recruits  were  needed  to  make  the  Riverlawns 
into  a  regiment,  men  of  the  better  class,  the 
farmere,  mechanics,  and  even  those  of  wealth  and 
influence,  came  forward,  and  formed  the  three 
companies  that  were  waiting   to  be  mustered  in 


36  AT   THE   rr.ONT 

at  the  capital  of  Hart  County.  ]\Iajor  Bornwood 
had  been  sent  with  full  powers  to  organize  the 
regiment ;  and  his  satchel  was  well  filled  with 
commissions  for  the  new  officers,  some  of  them 
filled  out,  and  others  in  blank,  the  names  to  be 
written  in  at  the  discretion  of  the  staff-officer,  in 
consultation  with  the  new  colonel  and  other  offi- 
cers. 

After  the  major  of  the  regiment  had  been  com- 
missioned. Colonel  Lyon  suggested  to  the  staff- 
officer,  who  was  really  in  command  as  such,  that 
his  men  had  marched  thirty  miles  since  daylight, 
and  needed  their  dinner.  The  haversacks  of  the 
troopei"S  had  been  filled  with  provisions,  and  pos- 
sibl}^  some  of  them  had  broken  their  fast  on  the 
march;  but  the  men  were  dismissed  till  afternoon, 
when  the  work  of  the  forenoon  would  be  com- 
pleted. The  wagons  had  not  yet  arrived,  for  the 
mules  were  slower  than  the  horses,  and  there  was 
no  grain  for  the  latter ;  but  the  grass  was  fresh  and 
green  on  the  field  chosen  for  the  parade,  and  the 
animals  were  peraaitted  to  feed  while  the  men 
took  their  dinner.  It  was  two  o'clock  in  the  af- 
ternoon then ;  and  the  men  were  liungry,  so  that 


\ 


THE    VETERANS    AMD    THE    RECRUITS  37 

they  could  forget  it  was  not  a  Delmonico  feast 
they  took  from  their  haversacks. 

Deck  had  recovered  his  self-possession,  and  all 
the  officers  and  most  of  the  men  congratulated 
him,  and  took  him  by  the  hand ;  for  all  of  theip 
believed  that  his  promotion  was  the  most  de- 
served, worthy  as  all  the  others  were  of  the  ad- 
vancement they  had  received.  The  new  major 
had  become  even  jolly  by  this  time,  and  he  was 
as  happy  as  though  he  had  been  in  the  room 
with  Miss  Kate  Belthorpe  at  her  father's  man- 
sion at  Lyndhall.  Colonel  Lyon  and  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Gordon  did  not  escape  the  felicitations 
of  the  other  officei'S  and  the  men;  and  if  every- 
body was  not  as  hajDpy  as  Major  Lyon,  they  were 
all  in  a  high  state  of  rejoicing  that  those  who 
had  deserved  it  had  received  the  reward  of  their 
bravery  and  skill  in  the  field. 

Major  Bornwood  invited  the  field-officei-s  of 
the  regiment  to  visit  the  camp  of  the  three  com- 
panies of  recruits,  which  was  about  half  a  mile 
from  the  place  where  the  commissions  had  been 
given  out.  As  they  were  about  to  leave,  they 
were   informed  that  a   company  of  troopers    was 


38  AT   THE   FRONT 

coming  up  tlie  road  from  the  west.  This  an- 
nouncement created  no  little  excitement ;  as  it 
was  not  yet  known  wliether  the  force  approach- 
ing were  friends  or  enemies.  The  staff -officer 
and  the  others  had  mounted  their  horses,  and 
they  rode  out  into  the  road.  Deck  surveyed 
the  company  as  well  as  the  distance  would  per- 
mit ;  and  he  soon  satisfied  himself  that  they  were 
not  enemies,  for  he  recognized  the  tall  form  at 
the  head  of  the  party. 

"  That  is  Life  Knox  at  the  head  of  the  party !  " 
exclaimed  Major  Lyon  as  soon  as  he  identified 
the  acting  second  lieutenant  of  the  first  company. 

"  You  are  right,  Dexter,"  added  his  father, 
who  always  called  his  son  by  his  full  Christian 
name  when  they  were  not  in  the  field,  and  had 
never  been  known  to  call  him  "Deck,"  as  every- 
body else  did  when  off  duty.  "  He  must  have 
marched  from  Muhlenburg  County,  and  very 
likely  he  has  done  most  of  the  distance  to-day." 

"  But  how  does  it  happen  that  they  are  all 
mounted,  Major  Bornwood  ?  "  asked  Deck. 

"  I  don't  know  ;  you  will  have  to  ask  Lieuten- 
ant Knox  about  that,"  rej)lied  the  staff-officer. 


THE    VETERANS    AND    THE    RECRUITS  39 

"  He  must  liave  drilled  his  recruits  to  some 
extent,"  added  Deck,  when  the  approaching  force 
came  near  enough  to  be  more  distinctly  seen. 
"  In  all  the  front  ranks  there  are  two  men  almost, 
or  quite,  as  tall  as  Life  himself;  "  for  in  the  cav- 
alry service  the  rule  is  not  "•  the  tallest  on  the 
right,"  for  they  are  placed  in  the  middle  of  the 
section. 

"  They  are  good-looking  men,"  said  the  staff- 
officer.  "  Probably  most  of  them  are  like  those 
of  some  of  the  recruits  in  the  three  companies 
at  Munfordville,  —  farmers,  mechanics,  storekeep- 
ers, and  gentlemen  of  leisure." 

"  Life  is  well  known  all  over  his  county,  and 
I  have  no  doubt  he  has  attracted  the  best  men 
to  his  standard,"  suggested  Colonel  Lyon. 

"  Very  likely  they  own  their  own  horses ;  l)ut 
we  have  horses,  uniforms,  and  equipments  here 
for  the  balance  of  the  regiment,"  added  ]\Lajor 
Bornwood,  as  he  advanced  to  meet  the  lieuten- 
ant, whom  he  had  seen  at  MacMinnville.  "  I  am 
glad  to  see  you,  Captain  Knox,"  continued  the 
staff-officer,  as  he  extended  his  hand  to  him ;  for 
they  were  not  in  the  military  harness  just  then. 


40  AT   THE    FRONT 

"I  am  glad  to  see  you  again,  Major  Born- 
wood,"  replied  Life,  as  he  took  the  offered  hand. 
"  But  I  am  not  a  captiiin,  only  an  acting  second 
lieutenant." 

"I  shall  not  stand  corrected,  Captain  Knox," 
replied  the  major,  laughing  at  the  embarrassment 
of  the  stalwart  Kentuckian,  as  he  drew  an  en- 
velope from  the  satchel  which  was  always  sus- 
pended from  his  shoulder.  "If  you  will  read 
the  document  contained  in  this  envelope,  you  will 
find  that  I  am  right  and  you  are  wrong ;  for  you 
are  no  longer  an  acting  second  lieutenant,  but  a 
captain." 

"  I  thank  you,  Major,  and  I  must  believe  all 
you  say,"  replied  Life,  as  he  opened  the  envelojje. 
"  It  is  all  right,  sir,  though  I  thought  when  I 
was  made  an  acting  second  lieutenant  that  I  had 
got  about  as  high  as  I  could  ever  go.  I  haven't 
the  education  to  be  an  officer." 

"But  you  have  the  education  to  make  you  a 
brave  and  skilful  soldier,  and  no  one  would  know 
to  hear  you  talk  that  you  were  not  a  graduate 
of  some  college." 

"I  owe  my  improved  talk  to  Captain  Lyon"  — 


THE    VETERANS    AND    THE    RECRUITS  41 

"  You  mean  Major  Lyon,"  interposed  the  rep- 
resentative of  the  Department  commander.  "  He 
was  promoted  to-day." 

"I  am  blessed  if  I  am  not  happier  over  that 
than  I  am  over  my  own  commission!  "  exclaimed 
Life,  rushing  to  Deck,  and  actually  hugging  him 
as  he  sat  on  his  horse.  "  My  blessed  boy !  You 
haven't  got  anything  more  than  you  deserve !  I 
expect  to  see  you  a  colonel  before  we  get  through 
with  tliis  war.  It  was  Deck,  Major,  that  edu- 
cated me ;  he  fixed  up  my  grammar  and  pronun- 
ciation so  that  I  can  speak  some  English  now." 

"  But  father  is  the  colonel  of  the  regiment 
now.  Captain  Knox,"  added  Deck. 

"  That  is  another  blessed  good  tiling  joii  have 
done.  Major  Bornwood;  and  he  is  as  worthy  of 
the  position  as  any  man  in  the  army  could  be," 
said  Life,  as  he  grasped  the  hand  of  the  colonel, 
and  congratulated  him  as  well  as  tliough  his  ed- 
ucation had  not  been  spoiled  on  the  plains  and 
in  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

"Thank  you.  Captain  Knox,  though  I  don't 
think  so  much  of  the  new  colonel  as  you  do," 
returned  the  commander  of  the  regiment. 


42  AT   THE   FRONT 

"  I  should  want  to  lick  any  other  man  that 
said  that,"  added  Life,  shaking  his  head  as  though 
he  meant  what  he  said. 

"  But  don't  you  do  it,  Captain.  Now  let  me 
introduce  you  to  Lieutenant-Colonel  Gordon." 

"  That's  another  blessed  good  thing  you  have 
done.  Major  Bornwood,"  said  Life,  as  he  seized 
the  hand  of  Colonel  Gordon,  and  congratulated 
him  in  his  homely  way. 

"  If  I  have  deserved  my  promotion.  Captain 
Knox,  it  is  because  I  have  had  such  good  offi- 
cers in  my  company  as  you  are,"  replied  the 
colonel. 

"  I  think  I  will  stop  firing,  for  all  my  shots 
fly  back  and  hit  me,"  answered  Life,  as  he  re- 
turned to  his  place  at  the  head  of  his  company. 

The  news  that  Life  had  been  commissioned  as 
a  captain  had  passed  through  the  company,  the 
recruits  of  which  had  already  signed  a  petition 
for  the  appointment  of  the  tall  Kentuckian  as 
their  captain ;  and  when  he  appeared  he  was  sa- 
luted with  a  tremendous  volley  of  cheers,  and 
he  made  his  best  bow  to  the  men. 

"Now  we   will  proceed  with    the   business   of 


THE    VETERANS    AND    THE    RECRUITS  43 

the  day,"  interposed  INIajor  Bornwood.  "Captain 
Knox,  yoii  will  march  3'our  recruits  to  the  camp, 
and  I  will  lead  the  way.  Your  men  will  there 
be  supplied  with  uniforms  and  equipments.  You 
will  be  the  captain  of  the  company  you  have 
raised,  and  you  will  proceed  to  drill  the  men  as 
soon  as  possible  ;  for,  if  I  mistake  not,  you  will 
soon  have  occasion  to  lead  them  where  things 
may  be  very  warm." 

The  staff-oiftcer  and  his  companions  led  the 
way.  As  the  recruits  passed  the  field  where  the 
three  companies  had  halted,  the  veteran  troopers 
cheered  them  vigorously.  They  soon<  reached  the 
camp,  where  they  found  the  three  companies 
gathered  there  clothed  in  new  uniforms,  and 
armed  with  carbine,  sabre,  and  revolver.  These 
men  had  stated  explicitly  to  Major  Bornwood 
that  they  wished  the  command  of  the  companies 
to  be  given  to  old  and  experienced  officers.  The 
wagons  arrived  that  night,  and  the  three  com- 
panies of  veterans  and  the  battery  went  into 
camp  at  once. 


44  AT    THE    FllONT 


CHAPTER  III 

CAPTAIN    LIFE    KNOX    IS    rMPORTUNATE 

On  the  following  day  all  the  veterans  and  re- 
cruits were  mustered  on  the  field.  All  the  even- 
ing before  had  been  occupied  in  arranging  the 
details  of  the  organization  of  the  regiment,  and 
Major  Bornwood  had  summoned  the  field-officers 
for  consultation  to  the  headquarters  he  had  estab- 
lished in  a  house  on  the  outskirts  of  the  town. 
Seated  around  a  table,  the  staff-officer  had  pro- 
duced three  papere,  which  proved  to  be  the  peti- 
tions of  the  recruits  of  the  three  companies,  asking 
that  experienced  officers  be  appointed  as  captains 
and  lieutenants. 

"  These  recruits  are  very  sensible ;  and  they 
can  see  that  they  will  do  better  with  veterans  in 
command  than  with  some  popular  man  in  the 
county  from  which  they  come  who  is  no  soldier," 
said  the  major,  as  he  passed  the  papers  to  Colo- 
nel Lyon.     "  It   makes   the   work    of    organizing 


CAPTAIN   LIFE   KXOX   IS   IMPORTUNATE         45 

the  command  all  the  easier  for  us.  Now,  Colo- 
nel, if  you  will  name  the  captain  of  the  fourth 
company,  we  will  proceed  to  business." 

"  Excuse  me,  Major,  but  I  am  afraid  he  will 
not  name  the  right  one,"  interposed  Colonel  Gor- 
don. "  I  have  in  mind  one  who  would  have 
been  promoted  a  year  ago  or  more  if  his  services 
had  not  been  needed  where  he  was.  I  am  confi- 
dent he  would  have  been  a  first  lieutenant  by 
this  time  if  other  considerations  than  the  merits 
of  the  young  officer  had  not  prevented  his  pro- 
motion. He  has  been  the  orderly  of  the  com- 
mander of  the  battalion  since  the  first  engagement 
of  the  lliverlawns,  and  there  is  not  a  braver  man 
in  the  body.  I  respectfully  suggest  the  name  of 
Artemas  Lyon,  whom  we  all  know  as  '  Artie ; ' 
and  though  he  is  still  a  private,  he  is  familiar 
with  the  duties  of  every  officer  in  the  line ;  and 
I  think  he  is  abundantly  qualified  for  the  posi- 
tion you  are  about  to  fill.  Major." 

"  Artie  a  captain !  "  exclaimed  Colonel  Lyon. 
"I  hope  you  don't  intend  to  make  a  family  mat- 
ter of  the  promotions.  Colonel  Gordon." 

"  I  certainly  do   not ;   but   without  regard   to 


46  AT   THE   FRONT 

family  relations,  I  do  not  like  to  see  a  very  mer- 
itorious young  officer  kept  back  in  the  shade 
on  account  of  them,"  replied  Colonel  Gordon. 
"What  do  you  think  of  the  matter,  Major 
Lyon  ? " 

"  Artie  is  not  my  own  brother,  but  he  is  just 
the  same  to  me ;  and  I  heartily  indorse  all  that 
Colonel  Gordon  has  said  of  him.  I  am  well 
aware  that  he  has  been  kept  in  the  shade,  but 
he  has  been  extremely  useful  to  my  father.  He 
has  practically  been  an  aide-de-camp,  and  as  such 
he  has  learned  the  details  of  every  officer's  duty. 
I  am  sure  he  is  amply  qualified  to  be  the  captain 
of  any  company  in  the  regiment." 

"Have  you  anything  further  to  sa}^.  Colonel 
Lyon?"  asked  the  staff-officer. 

"I  am  willing  to  admit  that  my  adopted  son 
deserves  all  that  has  been  said  of  him,  and  per- 
haps more,  for  he  never  flinched  from  the 
discharge  of  any  duty  he  was  called  upon  to 
perform.  I  have  seen  more  of  him  in  action 
than  any  other  officer;  and  the  only  objection  I 
have  to  his  triple  promotion  is  that  he  bears  my 
name,"  replied  the   colonel,  in  measured   speech, 


CAPTAIN    LIFE    KNOX    IS    IMPORTUNATE  47 

as  though  he  felt  the  responsibility  for  what  he 
was  saying. 

"  The  only  objection  is  overruled,"  added  Major 
Bornwood,  as  he  called  in  his  orderly  at  the 
door,  and  sent  for  the  young  man  under  con- 
sideration. 

He  took  a  document  from  his  satchel,  and  wrote 
the  name  of  Artemas  Lyon  in  a  blank  space 
when  he  had  opened  the  document.  "•  Good- 
morning,  Captain  Lyon,"  he  continued  as  Artie 
entered  the  apartment. 

"  Good-morning,  Major  Bornwood ;  but  I  am 
only  a  high  private,  and  not  a  captain,  or  even 
a  lieutenant,"  replied  the  young  man,  who  had 
rather  more  self-possession  than  his  brother;  and 
perhaps  he  had  acquired  it  because  his  duties 
had  required  him  to  address  some  of  the  highest 
officers  in  the  army. 

"  Not  even  a  lieutenant ;  and  it  is  not  probable 
that  you  will  ever  be  a  lieutenant,"  laughingly 
answered  the  staff-officer. 

"  Almost  everybody  else  has  been  promoted ; 
and  I  was  wondering  this  morning  if  my  time 
would  ever  come,  though  I  am  willing  to  serve 


48  AT    THE    FRONT 

as  a  private  till  the  end  of  the  war,  and  be  where 
I  can  do  the  most  good,"  said  Artie,  as  cheer- 
fully as  though  he  had  been  made  a  colonel. 

"  Your  time  has  come,  Captain  Lyon,"  con- 
tinued the  Major,  handing  the  orderly  the  paper 
in  which  he  had  just  written  the  name. 

Artie  opened  the  paper,  and  read  his  own 
name,  commissioned  as  a  captain.  He  was  more 
amazed  than  any  other  officer  had  been  at  his 
promotion.  He  started  back,  and  gazed  with  in- 
credulity at  the  face  of  the  document,  as  though 
he  could  not  believe  even  the  evidence  of  his 
own  eyes.  He  had  a  great  deal  of  confidence  in 
his  visual  organs,  for  they  had  served  him  very 
faithfully;  and  after  a  very  close  scrutiny  of  the 
paper  he  was  compelled  to  accept  the  fact  that 
he  was  actually  a  captain. 

"  I  should  have  been  glad  to  become  a  second 
lieutenant,  or  eyen  a  sergeant,  but  I  did  not  ex- 
pect to  become  a  captain,  even  if  the  war  lasted 
twenty  years  longer,"  said  the  new  captain.  "  I 
thank  you,  JNIajor  Bornwood,  and  whoever  else 
has  spoken  a  good  word  for  me." 

"  Colonel  Gordon  made   the   motion,  but  your 


CAPTAIN   LIFE   KNOX   IS   IMPORTUNATE         49 

father  and  your  brother,  have  supported  it.  Colo- 
nel Lyon's  only  objection  was  that  you  bore  his 
name." 

"But  it  is  a  good  name  to  bear,  for  all  that," 
replied  Artie,  as  he  began  to  back  out  of  the 
room. 

"  Stop  a  moment,  Captain  Lyon,"  interposed 
the  staff-officer.  "  You  will  command  the  fourth 
company,  and  all  the  recruits  are  drawn  up  on 
the  field  near  the  house.  Now,  gentlemen,  if 
you  will  be  prepared  to  name  three  more  candi- 
dates for  captaincies  on  my  return,  I  will  go  out 
and  introduce  Captain  Lyon  to  his  command;" 
and  he  left  the  room  with  Artie. 

A  few  minutes  later  a  volley  of  cheers  rent 
the  air,  and  it  was  evident  that  Captain  Lyon 
had  been  well  received  by  his  command.  Artie 
and  Deck  were  about  the  same  age.  They  had 
been  in  the  army  over  two  years,  and  were  now 
nineteen  years  old.  Both  of  them  had  been 
wounded  more  than  once,  but  neither  had  been 
sick  a  day.  They  had  grown  rapidly,  and  were 
as  tall,  and  weighed  as  much,  as  the  average  of 
the  men  in  the  battalion.     The  fourth  company, 


50  AT   THE   FRONT 

therefore,  had  no  reason  to  suppose  that  it  was 
to  be  commanded  by  a  baby. 

The  staff-officer  returned  to  the  room  where 
he  had  left  the  colonel,  and  found  him  ready  to 
name  the  other  captains.  The  fifth  company  was 
the  next  in  order,  and  Lieutenant  Gadbury  was 
promptly  named  as  its  captain.  He  was  sent 
for,  and  his  commission  given  to  him.  He  was 
the  first  lieutenant  of  the  second  company,  and 
was  an  able  officer.  Major  Born  wood  presented 
him  to  his  company;  and  he  was  as  well  received 
as  Artie  had  been.  On  his  return  he  found 
Lieutenant  Barnes  of  the  third  company  —  for- 
merly called  the  Marions,  though  the  name  had 
been  dropped,  for  the  officers  and  privates  pre- 
ferred to  share  the  glory  of  the  Riverlawns  —  in 
the  room  with  the  field-officers  of  the  regiment. 
He  was  quickly  commissioned,  and  Major  Born- 
wood  went  out  to  present  him  to  his  company. 
He  was  a  fine  officer;  and  it  was  considered  no 
more  than  fair  that  the  Marions  should  have  a 
share  of  the  promotions,  especially  as  they  had 
adopted  the  original  name  of  the  battalion.  Life 
Knox  had  already  been  commissioned. 


CAPTAIN    LIFE    KNOX   IS    IMPORTUNATE  51 

"Now,  gentlemen,  we  have  some  more  posi- 
tions to  fill,"  said  Major  Bornwood,  "and  I  wish 
to  dispose  of  this  business  at  once.  You  are 
familiar  with  the  names  of  the  officers  and  the 
places  to  be  filled,  and  I  am  not.  I  will  thank 
you  to  mention  the  vacancies  and  the  persons 
who  are  to  fill  them.   Colonel  Lyon." 

"The  place  of  the  captain  of  the  first  company, 
made  vacant  by  the  promotion  of  Colonel  Gor- 
don," replied  the  colonel,  taking  a  paper  from 
his  pocket,  on  which  had  been  written  the  newly 
arranged  roster  of  the  regiment.  "  We  recom- 
mend that  First  Lieutenant  Belthorpe  be  the  cap- 
tain, vice  Gordon  promoted." 

The  staff-officer  entered  the  name  of  Thomas 
Belthorpe  on  the  blank,  which  had  been  duly 
signed  for  the  occasion ;  and  "  Tom,"  as  every 
officer  called  him  when  off  duty,  became  a  cap- 
tain. He  needed  no  introduction  to  the  first 
company,  and  the  business  proceeded  without  any 
further  delay.  The  second  lieutenant  of  the  third 
company  was  made  fii*st  of  the  first  company,  and 
Orderly  Sergeant  Fronklyn  became  the  second 
lieutenant.     It  is  hardly  necessary  to  give  the  en- 


62  AT    THE    FKONT 

tire  roster  of  the  regiment ;  but  Sergeant  Sluder, 
Corporals  Milton  and  Sandy  Lyon,  were  selected 
as  second  lieutenants  to  fill  vacancies.  In  the 
course  of  the  forenoon  the  new  companies  were 
mustered  in,  and  under  the  direction  of  their 
new  captains  the  first  lieutenants  were  chosen. 
All  of  them  had  been  military  men  in  the  cavalry 
service  of  the  militia.  The  second  lieutenants 
had  all  been  sergeants  or  corporals  in  the  battal- 
ion. These  men  had  been  selected  for  their  edu- 
cation and  their  knowledge  of  military  drill,  as 
well  as  for  their  conduct  in  battle.  Commissions 
were  given  to  all  who  had  not  already  received 
them,  if  they  had  been  promoted. 

The  companies  were  dismissed  for  dinner,  and 
to  feed  their  horses.  In  the  afternoon,  when  all 
the  new  companies  had  been  mustered  into  the  ser- 
vice, and  the  non-commissioned  officers  appointed, 
the  line  was  formed,  and  then  a  hollow  square. 
Major  Born  wood  now  kept  himself  in  the  shade, 
and  Colonel  Lyon  took  the  command.  The  lat- 
ter made  quite  a  long  speech,  which  was  as 
patriotic  as  the  occasion  required.  He  declared 
that  the  Riverlawn  battalion   had  always   been  a 


CAPTAIN    LIFE    KNOX    IS    IMPORTUNATE  53 

fighting  body  of  men,  and  he  expected  that  the 
regiment  just  formed  would  sustain  the  same  rep- 
utation. "•  We  are  not  yet  ready  as  a  regiment  for 
active  duty,"  he  added;  "and  discipline  is  quite 
as  necessary  as  bravery.  The  next  thing  in  order 
is  the  drill,  as  much  needed  by  the  hoi"ses  as  by 
the  men ;  and  I  shall  dismiss  the  companies,  and 
the  captains  will  at  once  begin  the  drill  of  those 
which  have  just  been  mustered  in." 

Each  commander  of  a  company  marched  his 
men  to  the  pickets  where  the  horses  had  been  se- 
cured, and  they  were  dismounted.  The  fii-st  thing 
to  be  done  was  to  train  the  soldiers  in  marching 
and  facing  on  foot.  This  was  done  in  squads, 
and  the  veterans  were  called  upon  to  assist  as 
instructors.  As  soon  as  the  recruits  were  compe- 
tent to  march  in  good  order,  they  were  mounted  ; 
and  it  was  several  days  before  they  reached  this 
point  in  their  progress,  for  they  had  to  be  drilled 
on  foot  in  the  sabre,  pistol,  and  carbine  exercises. 
Then  came  the  mounted  drill.  Nearl}'  all  the 
men  were  good  horsemen,  and  they  made  very 
satisfactory  progress. 

While  the  new  companies  were  thus  engaged, 


64  _  AT   THE   FRONT 

Colonel  Lyon  received  a  telegraphic  despatch  from 
London,  in  Laurel  County,  notifying  him  of  the 
approach  of  a  Confederate  cavalry  regiment  mov- 
ing to  the  north.  In  consultation  with  Major 
Born  wood,  it  was  decided  that  the  original  Riv- 
erlawn  force,  with  the  battery,  should  move  in  the 
direction  indicated.  At  this  time  it  was  reported 
that  several  bodies  of  guerillas  were  moving  into 
the  State,  believed  to  be  engaged  in  plundering 
raids ;  and  the  presence  of  a  body  of  cavalry  was 
absolutely  necessary  in  some  of  the  southern  coun- 
ties. 

"What  does  all  this  mean.  Major  Lyon?"  de- 
manded Captain  Knox,  as  he  met  Deck ;  for  he 
had  noticed  the  preparations  at  the  camp  which 
looked  like  a  movement  of  some  kind. 

"  Three  companies  and  the  battery  will  move 
for  the  east  at  once,"  replied  the  major  of  the 
regiment. 

"But  I  have  had  no  orders,"  added  Life. 

"  You  are  not  to  go.  Your  company  is  still 
as  green  as  cabbages  in  July,  and  is  not  fit  for 
active  service,"  answered  the  major,  with  a  smile 
at  the  chagrin  of  the  tall  Kentuckian. 


CAPTAIN   LIFE   KNOX   IS   IMPORTUNATE         55 

"  Who  says  so,  Deck  ?  " 

"  Well,  I  say  so,  for  one ;  and  you  know  it  as 
well  as  I  do.  Life." 

"  I  don't  know  it.  They  may  not  do  a  big 
thing  on  dress  parade,  or  anything  of  that  sort, 
but  they  will  fight  like  stacks  of  wildcats,"  ar- 
gued Captain  Knox. 

"  They  have  not  drilled  over  three  days  yet," 
added  Deck. 

"  Yes,  they  have ;  while  we  were  waiting  for 
some  horses  for  a  week  in  Muhlenburg  County, 
I  drilled  them  unmounted,  and  I  was  drilling 
them  all  the  way  on  the  road  for  two  days.  I 
say  they  are  in  good  condition  to  go  into  a  fight 
at  this  minute.  I  will  be  responsible  for  every 
man  of  them." 

"  Of  course  I  haven't  anything  to  say  about  it, 
and  you  must  go  to  the  colonel,"  added  Deck, 
wlio  was  not  willing  to  think  of  such  a  thing  as 
a  fight  when  Life  was  counted  out. 

"Where  is  your  father?"  demanded  the  cap- 
tain. 

"  At  the  headquartei-s  of  Major  Bornwood ; 
you  will  find  both  of  them  there,"  replied  Deck, 


66  AT   THE   FRONT 

as  Life  stretched  his  long  legs  in  the  direction 
indicated. 

The  expedition  was  to  start  immediately  after 
dinner ;  and  all  the  vetei-ans  were  busily  engaged 
in  the  preparations  for  more  stirring  work,  and 
the  prospect  of  a  change  was  very  agreeable  to 
them.  Major  Lj^on  walked  up  to  the  headquar- 
ters, and  found  on  his  arrival  that  Life  had  al- 
ready stated  his  case. 

"  I  have  the  best  men  in  the  column,  —  the  best 
riders,  the  best  marksmen,  and  the  pluckiest  lot 
all  round  that  you  could  pick  up,  two  or  three 
from  each  county  in  the  State ;  and  I  can't  stand 
it  to  have  the  Riverlawn  Cavalry  go  into  a  fight 
without  me  and  my  men.  I  have  known  most 
of  them  all  my  life ;  and  they  are  all  in  for  Old 
Kentuck,  and  nothing  else,"  pleaded  the  captain. 
"A  good  part  of  them  have  been  in  the  militia; 
and  if  they  can't  make  as  good  a  show  as  the 
rest  of  the  companies,  they  can  do  as  much  fight- 
ing, and  do  it  as  well  as  the  best  of  them.  I 
say  I  will  be  responsiljle  for  them." 

Both  the  colonel  and  the  staff-officer  yielded 
the  point  in  the  same  breath. 


THE   MARCH   TO   COLUMBIA  57 


CHAPTER   IV 

THE    MARCH    TO    COLUjVIBIA 

Captaest  Life  Knox  considered  it  a  personal 
grievance  that  he  should  be  left  in  camp  while 
his  former  companions  in  arms  were  sent  out  to 
drive  off  the  guerillas  that  were  invading  the 
State,  or  were  banding  together  within  its  limits ; 
and  he  was  made  happy  when  the  seventh  com- 
pany was  ordered  to  join  the  three  which  had 
formed  the  Riverlawn  battalion.  He  hastened  to 
the  camp  where  the  horses  were  picketed ;  and  at 
the  appointed  time  his  men  were  in  the  saddle, 
with  their  havereacks  filled  for  the  march.  They 
had  been  provided  with  uniforms  and  arms  on 
their  arrival ;  and  their  vigorous  captain  had 
drilled  them  in  the  handling  of  their  weapons, 
as  well  as  in  some  of  the  movements  as  mounted 
men. 

It  was  noAv  a  battalion  of  four  companies,  with 
Major  Batterson's  battery  attached.     Two  wagons, 


58  AT    THE    FRONT 

each  drawn  by  six  large  mules,  were  loaded  with 
grain  for  the  animals  and  provisions  for  the  men. 
In  column  the  first  company  had  the  right,  or 
head,  and  the  second  the  left,  or  foot,  of  the 
line,  with  the  seventh  and  third  in  the  centre,  in 
the  order  as  named.  The  fourth,  fifth,  and  sixth 
were  to  remain  in  camp,  and  their  captains  were 
directed  to  drill  the  men  from  sunrise  till  sunset 
every  day ;  and,  as  the  men  were  the  best  mate- 
rial in  the  State,  it  was  believed  that  the  three 
companies  would  be  ready  for  the  field  by  the 
time  the  battalion  returned  from  the  expedition. 

The  staff -officer  represented  the  major-general 
in  command  of  the  Department;  and  he  was  au- 
thorized to  send  the  regiment,  or  any  part  of  it, 
where  it  might  be  needed.  It  was  not  necessary 
that  the  three  field-officers  should  go  with  the 
expedition,  but  Major  Bornwood  had  ordered 
them  to  do  so,  in  order  to  give  them  the  benefit 
of  the  experience  they  would  obtain  in  the  rank 
to  which  they  had  been  promoted;  and  they  were 
all  as  anxious  to  go  as  Captain  Knox  had  been. 
The  place  of  the  colonel  was  at  the  head,  the 
lieutenant-colonel  at  the  foot,  and  the   major  at 


THE    MARCH    TO    COLUMBIA  59 

the  side  of  the  column ;  and  the  staff-officer  shook 
hands  with  all  three  of  them  as  they  took  their 
places.  The  adjutant  had  not  yet  been  appointed, 
for  the  regiment  was  not  yet  fully  organized  ;  but 
Sergeant  Yowell,  one  of  the  original  Kentuckians 
who  had  been  among  the  first  to  enlist  in  the 
first  company  of  Riverlawns,  had  been  designated 
as  sergeant-major,  who  is  the  assistant  of  the  ad- 
jutant, and  who  takes  his  place  when  he  is  not 
present.  In  this  capacity  he  marched  near  the 
colonel. 

"  Attention  —  Battalion  !  "  commanded  the  col- 
onel, when  all  was  ready.     "  Forward  —  March  !  " 

The  horses  had  been  resting  for  about  three 
days,  and  they  were  in  excellent  condition.  The 
colonel  gave  the  order  to  gallop,  as  much  to  re- 
duce the  horses  to  a  more  quiet  condition  as  to 
increase  the  speed  of  the  column,  though  he  in- 
tended to  make  a  quick  march  to  the  point  where 
the  force  was  needed.  This  rapid  marching  was 
continued  for  three  miles,  when  a  halt  was  called 
to  enable  the  wagons  to  come  up ;  though  Lieu- 
tenant Hickman,  the  quartermaster,  Tiad  been  or- 
dered to  keep  up  with  the  column  if  he   could. 


60  AT   THE   FEONT 

and  he  had  hurried  the  mules  to  their  best  speed, 
and  was  not  far  in  the  rear.  The  march  was  re- 
sumed when  they  came  up ;  and  they  did  not 
again  fall  behind,  for  the  column  moved  at  the 
rate  of  about  six  miles  an  hour. 

Colonel  Lyon's  fine  steed  was  well  trained ; 
and  when  the  march  was  resumed,  he  dropped 
his  reins  upon  the  animal's  neck,  and  took  a  let- 
ter from  his  pocket,  and  broke  the  seal.  It  had 
been  handed  to  him,  with  two  others,  just  as  his 
command  was  leaving  Munfordville.  He  recog- 
nized the  handwriting  of  the  direction,  and  he 
was  anxious  to  know  its  contents;  for  it  was  from 
his  brother,  who  had  been  a  prisoner  of  war  at 
a  camp  near  Chicago  for  nearly  two  years.  Colo- 
nel Noah  Lyon  and  Captain  Titus  Lyon  had 
been  on  opposite  sides  in  politics,  and  there  had 
been  a  good  deal  of  trouble  between  them.  The 
latter  had  been  a  hard  drinker  of  Kentucky  whis- 
key in  recent  years.  Titus  had  been  at  variance 
with  his  upright  and  honest  brother  in  regard  to 
the  property  of  their  deceased  brother.  Colonel 
Duncan  Lyon,  who  had  made  a  will  giving  the 
Riverlawn  plantation  to  Noah. 


THE   MARCH   TO   COLUMBIA  61 

Titus  thought  it  ought  to  have  been  given  to 
him,  and  this  was  the  root  of  the  trouble.  He 
had  been  a  Democrat  at  Derry,  N.H.,  from  which 
all  the  family  had  emigrated ;  and  his  associations 
with  the  whiskey-drinking  people  in  Barcreek 
and  its  vicinity  had  caused  him  to  cast  in  his  lot 
with  the  Secessionists.  He  had  raised  a  com- 
pany of  Home  Guards,  and  had  contributed  from 
the  money  he  had  received  from  the  estate  of  Ms 
brother  to  the  Southern  cause,  till  he  had  nearly 
impoverished  himself ;  and  he  had  been  made 
captain  of  the  company.  But  he  drank  so  much 
whiskey  that  he  was  unfit  for  the  command ;  and 
when  he  had  been  sent  on  a  bridge-destroying 
expedition  to  co-operate  with  another  force  sent 
from  farther  south,  his  company  had  been  cap- 
tured, after  being  thoroughly  beaten  by  the  River- 
lawn  Cavalry,  and  the  prisonei-s  had  been  sent  to 
the  North. 

The  family  of  Titus  had  been  broken  up  by 
his  erratic  course,  for  he  was  no  longer  able  to 
support  them.  His  two  sons,  Sandy  and  Orly, 
had  joined  their  father's  company,  which  had 
gone    to    Bowling    Green,    where    the    boys    had 


62  AT   THE   FRONT 

been  half  starved  in  the  absence  of  supplies  in 
the  Confederate  camp ;  and  they  had  deserted  be- 
fore the  command  was  sent  on  the  bridge  expe- 
dition. The  mother  and  three  daughters,  with 
the  financial  assistance  of  Noah,  had  returned  to 
their  friends  in  New  Hampshire ;  and  the  two 
boys,  who  had  followed  their  father's  lead  with- 
out having  any  interest  in  the  South  side  he 
espoused,  had  joined  the  Riverlawn  Cavalry. 
Both  of  them  were  brave  fellows,  and  Orly  had 
been  killed  in  one  of  the  battles  of  the  battalion ; 
while  Sandy  had  just  been  promoted  to  the  rank 
of  second  lieutenant,  and  assigned  to  the  fifth 
company. 

Noah  had  received  two  letters  from  Titus,  and 
had  put  him  in  communication  with  his  wife 
and  daughters.  As  a  prisoner,  he  could  obtain 
no  whiskey,  and  he  had  no  money  to  bribe  reck- 
less camp  retainers.  His  letters  indicated  a 
change  of  heart,  and  certainly  of  manners.  Un- 
der the  discipline  of  the  prison  camp,  he  had 
become  a  different  man.  The  most  significant 
announcement  contained  in  his  second  letter  was 
that  the  chaplain  of  the  camp  had  converted  liini 


THE   MARCH    TO   COLUMBIA  63 

to  the  Union  faith.  Noah  had  not  much  confi- 
dence in  the  professions  of  his  brother.  He  asked 
for  money  ;  but  the  loyal  brother  would  not  send 
him  any,  fearful  that  it  would  be  converted  into 
whiskey.  This  was  the  state  of  affairs  between 
the  colonel  and  his  brother  when  he  broke  the. 
seal  of  the  third  letter,  received  four  months 
after  the  second. 

The  letter  brought  tears  to  the  eyes  of  the 
reader,  for  Titus  was  a  penitent. 

"  I  have  not  tasted  of  any  intoxicating  drink  for  a 
year  and  a  half,  and  I  have  signed  the  pledge  never  to 
touch  it  again  as  long  as  I  live  ;  and  with  the  help  of 
God,  I  shall  be  true  to  my  pledge  [he  wrote].  Mr.  Gold- 
word,  the  chaplain  of  the  division  to  which  I  belong,  has 
been  my  best  friend.  He  seciu'ed  me  my  rights  as  an 
officer,  and  I  am  now  addressed  as  '  Captain  Lyon.'  But 
this  is  a  small  matter  compared  with  the  rest  he  has 
done  for  me.  He  has  argued  the  political  question  with 
me  till  I  believe  I  am  as  strong  a  Union  man  as  you 
are ;  and  I  am  sure  now  it  was  whiskey  that  made  a 
Secessionist  of  me.  I  have  signed  the  oath  of  allegiance 
to  the  United  States  government.  Since  I  did  this  two 
months  ago,  I  have  been  practically  set  at  liberty.  I  have 
no  home  now,  for  my  wife  and  children  have  deserted 
me,  though  I  do  not  blame  them  for  doing  so.  I  have 
property  and  debts  due  me  in  Barcreek ;  but  I  have  not 


64  AT   THE   FRONT 

a  dollar  in  money,  and  I  cannot  go  to  New  Hampshire 
or  back  to  Kentucky.  I  shall  enlist  as  a  private  in  the 
army  of  the  Union  at  the  first  opportunity  to  join  the 
cavalry  service.  1  have  been  a  member  of  a  Presbyterian 
church  here,  and  have  been  at  work  at  my  trade  for  a 
few  days,  since  I  could  find  anything  to  do.  I  have 
asked  God,  as  I  now  ask  you,  to  forgive  me  for  all  the 
hard  words  I  have  spoken  to  you,  my  brother,  and  for  all 
I  have  done  to  your  injury  and  that  of  my  country.  Mr. 
Goldword  has  promised  to  ■WTite  to  you  about  my  case, 
and  to  give  you  his  testimony  in  regard  to  what  I  am 


This  was  the  substance  of  Titus's  letter,  and 
the  colonel  wept  over  it.  One  of  the  other  let- 
ters bore  the  same  postmark,  and  he  had  no 
doubt  it  was  from  the  chaplain,  and  the  other 
was  from  Derry ;  but  he  had  not  time  to  read 
them,  for  the  command  had  made  ten  miles,  and 
he  called  a  halt  to  water  the  horses.  Without 
saying  a  word,  he  handed  the  letter  to  his  son; 
and  while  his  orderly  was  attending  to  his  horse, 
he  opened  the  letter  from  Derry.  It  was  from 
Amelia,  the  wife  of  Titus,  who  had  heard  from 
him ;  and  she  related  all  the  facts  contained  in 
her  husband's  letter.  She  had  sent  him  some 
money,  borrowed  of  her  brother,  and  had  begged 


THE   MARCH   TO   COLUMBIA  65 

him  not  to  enlist  in  a  Western  regiment.  She 
thought  he  had  better  return  to  Kentucky,  and 
work  at  his  trade.  The  letter  from  the  chap- 
lain enclosed  others  from  the  minister  of  the 
church  of  which  Titus  was  a  member,  and  from 
the  officers  of  the  company  in  charge  of  the. 
camp,  all  speaking  in  the  highest  terms  of  "  Cap- 
tain Lyon." 

The  march  was  resumed,  and  at  sunset  the 
command  reached  Greens  burg,  where  they  in- 
tended to  camp  for  the  night ;  but  a  telegraphic 
despatch  from  Major  Bornwood  informed  the  colo- 
nel that  Columbia,  the  capital  of  Adair  County, 
where  the  Riverlawns  had  been  before  on  their 
way  to  Mill  Spring,  was  threatened  by  a  large 
body  of  guerillas,  moving  rapidly  upon  the  town, 
and  ordered  him  to  hasten  to  its  defence.  It 
was  about  eighteen  miles  distant,  and  the  com- 
mander decided  to  proceed  without  any  unneces- 
sary delay.  The  horses  were  fed,  and  the  men 
had  their  supper.  The  battalion  had  marched 
only  twenty  miles  that  afternoon ;  it  was  a  moon- 
light evening.  The  wagon-guard  of  the  quarter- 
master  was    increased,    and   the    four   companies 


66  AT   THE   FEONT 

made  the  first  ten  miles  in  an  hour.  They  were 
then  halted  for  a  rest  of  half  an  hour;  for  the 
colonel  believed  in  keeping  his  .troopers  as  fresh 
as  possible. 

"  Did  you  read  that  letter  from  your  Uncle 
Titus,  Dexter?  "  asked  the  commander  while  they 
were  waiting. 

"  I  did,  father ;  and  it  looks  as  though  Uncle 
Titus  was  a  very  different  man  from  what  he 
was  in  the  Confederate  service,"  replied  Deck,  as 
much  rejoiced  at  the  change  in  him  as  his  father 
was.     "  Do  you  suppose  it  is  a  lasting  change  ?  " 

"  I  believe  it  is,  for  nothing  could  have  induced 
him  to  write  the  letter  you  have  read  if  he  did 
not  mean  it,"  added  the  colonel.  "Titus  is  no 
hypocrite ;  and  when  he  stopped  drinking  whis- 
key, he  came  to  his  senses.  I  have  letters  from 
his  minister  and  from  his  wife.  They  all  speak 
confidently  of  him,  and  your  Aunt  Meely  ad- 
vises him  to  return  to  Barcreek.  I  shall  send 
him  money,  'and  if  he  comes  home  I  should  like 
to  do  something  for  him.  If  he  had  written  be- 
fore we  made  the  promotions,  I  should  have 
found  a  place  for  him  in  the  regiment." 


THE   MARCH    TO    COLUMBIA  67 

"  We  have  no  adjutant  or  sergeant-major  yet, 
father,"  suggested  Deck, 

"More  of  the  family  m  the  command,"  added 
Colonel  Lyon  with  a  smile.  "  But  we  will  defer 
that  matter  till  we  need  the  officers  you  mention. 
Titus  was  the  adjutant  of  a  regiment  in  New 
Hampshire  about  fifteen  years  ago,  and  was  a 
military  man  from  the  time  he  was  eighteen.  •  He 
is  more  of  a  soldier  than  I  was  when  we  went 
into  the  service." 

"  I  have  no  doubt  he  is  qualified  for  any  posi- 
tion up  to  captain  of  a  company,"  said  Deck,  as 
his  father  gave  the  order  to  form  the  column. 

At  ten  o'clock  in  the  evening  the  battalion 
was  approaching  Columbia ;  and  a  squad  of  cav- 
alry was  reported  as  coming  up  the  road,  consist- 
ing of  not  more  than  half  a  dozen.  As  they 
came  nearer,  they  halted,  and  gave  three  cheers. 
Then  they  rode  forward  at  full  gallop ;  and  Colo- 
nel Lyon  halted  the  battalion,  to  ascertain  the 
meaning  of  this  demonstration.  The  principal 
personage  of  tlie  group,  or  at  least  the  one  that 
rode  in  advance,  halted  in  front  of  the  colonel. 

"I  am  glad  to  see  you.  Colonel  Lyon,  at  just 


68  AT   THE   FllONT 

this  time,  for  you  are  greatly  needed  here,"  said 
the  leading  man.  "  I  telegraphed  to  Major  Born- 
wood  at  Munfordville,  and  received  a  reply  that 
Colonel  Lyon  with  four  companies  of  cavalry  and 
a  battery  were  on  the  road  to  Columbia.  You 
were  Major  Lyon  when  we  met  last,  and  when 
you  defeated  the  enemy's  force  on  the  road  to 
Jamestown." 

"  I  ought  to  know  you,  and  j'our  voice  sounds 
familiar;   but  I  do  not,"  replied  the  colonel. 

"  I  am  usually  called  Colonel  Halliburn,  for 
that  was  my  rank  in  the  militia ;  but  I  am 
now  only  the  captain  of  the  Millersville  Home 
Guard,"  replied  the  officer. 

"  I  am  glad  to  meet  you  again,  Colonel  Hal- 
liburn." 

"  You  don't  remember  a  man  by  the  name  of 
Ripley,  do  you.  Colonel  ? "  said  an  elderly  man 
next  to  the  leader. 

"  Very  well  indeed,  for  he  was  in  command 
of  the  shaipshooters  that  did  such  good  service 
at  Mill  Spring." 

"I  am  the  man,"  said  the  second  speaker. 

"■I  am  glad  to  see  you.  Captain  Ripley,"  added 


THE   MARCH   TO   COLUMBIA  69 

Colonel  Lyon,  as  he  shook  hands  with  the  best 
rifleman  in  the  county.  "  But  I  think  we  had 
better  attend  to  business  now.  Where  are  the 
guerillas,  Colonel  Halliburn  ?  " 

"  They  may  be  regular  Confederate  cavalry, 
though  in  my  opinion  they  don't  belong  to  the 
army.  We  have  a  squad  of  scouts  out ;  and  a 
messenger  came  in  from  them  two  hours  ago, 
stating  that  the  enemy  had  camped  for  the  night 
at  Harrison,  and  no  doubt  they  will  plunder  the 
to"\vn." 

"  Then  nothing  can  be  done  to-night ;  and  I 
am  not  sorry  for  it,  for  my  men  have  ridden 
nearly  forty  miles  to-day. 

"  We  will  examine  the  map,  and  look  over 
the  ground,"  added  Colonel  Lyon,  as  he  gave 
the  order  to  march. 

The  command  camped  for  the  night  on  the 
outskirts  of  Columbia. 


AT   THE   FRONT 


CHAPTER  V 

PREPARATIONS   FOR   THE   DEFENCE 

Quartermaster  HicKiviAisr,  who  was  one  of 
the  sons  of  Colonel  Hickman,  whose  battle  at  his 
mansion  on  the  hill  the  battalion  had  fought  the 
year  before,  and  who  was  entirely  familiar  with 
the  locality,  for  his  home  was  less  than  twenty 
miles  from  Columbia,  had  made  a  cross-cut,  and 
hurried  up  the  wagons,  so  that  they  arrived  at  the 
camp  almost  as  soon  as  the  companies,  and  the 
tents  were  pitched.  The  men  had  taken  their 
supper  early  in  the  evening,  and  they  were  soon 
rolled  up  in  their  blankets  on  the  ground.  But 
Colonel  Lyon  and  the  other  field-officers  did  not 
not  go  into  their  tent  till  a  later  hour,  but  pro- 
ceeded at  once  to  make  a  survey  of  the  surround- 
ings of  the  town,  and  to  make  the  dispositions 
for  the  battle  of  the  following  day, 

Columbia  was  not  a  large  town  in  1862 ;  and 
the    two    original    companies    of    the    Riverlawn 


PREPARATIONS  FOR  THE  DEFENCE     71 

Cavalry  had  been  there  before,  and  knew  some- 
thing about  the  place.  It  is  located  on  Russell's 
Creek,  —  and  a  fairly  large  stream  often  takes 
the  name  of  "  creek "  in  Kentucky.  In  this  in- 
stance it  was  a  considerable  river,  flowing  into 
the  Green.  Colonel  Halliburn  and  Lieutenajit 
Ripley  were  sent  for  by  the  commander  of  the 
force ;  and  they  began  a  tour  of  the  town  on  the 
outskirts,  where  the  engagement  was  likely  to 
take  place. 

"  Now,  Colonel  Halliburn  "  — 

"  Excuse  me,  Colonel  Lyon,  but  I  am  not  a 
colonel,  only  a  captain  in  command  of  the  Home 
Guard,  and  too  many  colonels  may  make  confu- 
sion," interposed  the  officer  addressed.  "  Call 
me  captain,  please ;  for  that  is  my  present  rank." 

"  As  you  please.  Captain  Halliburn.  Have 
your  scouts  reported  the  number  of  the  cavalry 
approaching?"  asked  the  colonel. 

"  They  could  not  ascertain  the  number  accu- 
rately, but  believe  the  force  consists  of  an  entire 
regiment,"  replied  the  captain. 

"  What  is  your  force  here  ?  " 

"I    have   a    full    company  of   cavalry,  and    at 


72  AT   THE   FRONT 

Millersville  I  have  a  company  of  infantry  for 
the  defence  of  the  town." 

"We  shall  be  outnumbered,  then,"  added  Colo- 
nel Lyon,  evidently  not  pleased  with  the  situa- 
tion. "I  have  but  four  companies  and  a  battery 
of  six  guns." 

Both  of  the  camps  were  near  the  river,  and 
therefore  in  the  southern  part  of  the  town,  that 
of  the  Home  Guard  being  at  the  extreme  end  of 
the  village.  The  road  came  in  from  Harrison, 
near  the  latter,  by  a  bridge  over  the  deepest 
water  in  the  stream.  From  this  crossing  the 
surveying  party  had  a  full  view  of  the  entire 
locality  outside  of  the  town,  which  was  at  that 
time  nothing  more  than  a  village,  though  it  con- 
tained some  very  fine  residences  and  the  county 
buildings.  Colonel  Lyon  halted  on  the  bridge ; 
and  the  moonlight  enabled  him  to  obtain  a  suf- 
ficient view  of  the  surroundings.  He  had  some- 
thing over  five  hundred  men  in  his  command; 
and  it  was  probable  that  the  enemy  had  double 
that  number,  if  it  was  a  full  regiment,  as  it  had 
had  been  reported  to  be. 

The  colonel  felt  the  responsibility  of  the  situa- 


PKEPAEATIONS    FOii    THE   DEFENCE  73 

tion;  and  from  what  he  had  learned  he  was  m- 
cHned  to  believe  that  the  regiment  at  Harrison 
was  the  advance  of  the  forces  that  were  moving 
into  the  State  under  Bragg  and  Kirby  Smith, 
though  it  might  be  only  one  of  the  guerilla 
forces  which  had  been  sent  in  advance  of  the 
main  armies.  But  whatever  the  enemy  might 
be,  it  was  necessary  that  the  force  should  be 
beaten ;  and  this  Avas  the  great  thought  in  the 
mind  of  the  commander.  He  did  not  lose  sight 
of  the  fact  that  he  was  to  fight  the  battle 
with  only  half  the  force  of  the  enemy.  It 
would  require  something  more  than  brute  force 
to  achieve  a  victory  under  these  circumstances. 
He  seated  himself  on  the  rail  of  the  bridge,  and 
looked  about  him.  No  one  spoke  to  him,  and  he 
did  not  ask  the  advice  of  his  associates.  After 
he  had  been  silent  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour, 
he  leaped  down  from  his  seat,  and  rubbed  his 
hands  together  as  though  he  had  obtained  the 
idea  he  wanted. 

"  I  think  we  can  whip  them !  "  he  exclaimed 
in  vigorous  tones,  as  he  stamped  his  right  foot 
upon  the  planks  of  the  bridge. 


74  AT   THE   FRONT 

His  companions  looked  at  him ;  for  they  were 
satisfied  tliat  liis  plan  for  the  battle  was  fully  ar- 
ranged. They  were  ready  to  receive  their  orders, 
and  were  rather  impatient  to  know  how  opera- 
tions were  to  be  conducted ;  but  not  one  of 
them  asked  a  question. 

"  On  the  right  of  the  road  from  Harrison, 
looking  from  this  bridge,  the  woods  extend  at 
least  half  a  mile,"  said  the  colonel,  seating  him- 
self on  the  rail  again. 

"For  over  two  miles,"  added  Lieutenant  Rip- 
ley. 

"  So  much  the  better.  Now,  Captain  Halli- 
burn,  where  are  the  sharpshooters  that  rendered 
such  valuable  service  in  the  fight  on  the  road  to 
Jamestown?"  inquired  Colonel  Lyon. 

"  They  are  all  here,  still  in  my  command,"  an- 
swered the  captain  of  the  Home  Guard.  "When 
we  want  to  use  them  as  riflemen  they  are  under 
the  command  of  Lieutenant  Ripley." 

"How  many  of  them  are  there?" 

"Sixty-three,  counting  me  in,"  replied  the  lieu- 
tenant. "  We  have  had  rather  quiet  times  about 
here   for  the  last  year,   and   they    have   not  had 


PREPARATIONS  FOR  THE  DEFENCE     75 

much  practice ;  but  they  can  shoot  as  well  as 
ever  they  could." 

"I  propose  to  place  that  portion  of  your  com- 
mand in  this  wood,  Captain  Halliburn,  if  you  do 
not  object ;  for  the  company  is  yours,  and  not 
mine." 

"  My  company  is  under  your  command,  and 
you  can  place  them  where  you  think  best,"  an- 
swered the  captain  of  the  Home  Guard.  "  Rip- 
ley, you  will  take  your  orders  from  Colonel 
Lyon." 

"  The  colonel  is  going  to  play  the  same  game 
he  did  a  year  ago  on  the  Jamestown  road  and 
at  the  meadows  by  Fishing  Creek,"  said  the 
lieutenant.  "  I  am  ready  to  do  my  best  for  him ; 
and  when  a  ball  goes  out  of  one  of  my  rifles,  a 
trooper  drops,  killed  or  wounded." 

"I  thank  you.  Lieutenant,  and  I  am  confident 
I  can  depend  upon  you,"  added  Colonel  Lyon. 
"You  can  see  that  rising  ground  near  the  creek, 
south-east  of  the  village.  On  that  I  shall  post 
the  battery  of  six  guns.  You  will  place  your 
riflemen  behind  the  trees,  on  the  south  side  of 
the   creek,  and   far   enough   back   to   be    out   of 


76  AT   THE   FRONT 

the  reach  of  the  shot  and  shells  which  Major 
Batterson  will  pour  into  the  enemy.  But  he 
will  take  the  Confederate  troopers  at  an  angle, 
so  that  no  shot  will  strike  within  a  quarter  of 
a  mile  of  this  bridge.  Do  you  understand  it, 
Lieutenant  Ripley?" 

"  Perfectly,  Colonel." 

"  Colonel  Gordon,  you  will  command  the  first 
and  second  companies,  posted  out  of  sight  from 
the  Harrison  road  at  the  southern  extremity  of 
the  village.  You  can  place  your  men  behind  the 
houses  and  in  that  grove  by  the  river,"  continued 
the  colonel. 

"  But  I  have  forty-seven  men  besides  the  rifle- 
men," interposed  Captain  Halliburn,  fearing  that 
he  might  not  be  employed. 

"  I  believe  there  is  a  ford  beyond  that  bend  in 
the  creek,"  continued  the  colonel,  pointing  in 
the  direction  of  the  road  by  which  the  command 
had  arrived  at  the  town.  "  We  crossed  it  on 
the  way  to  Millersville  ;  for  the  enemy  had  de- 
stroyed the  bridge." 

"You  are  quite  right.  Colonel  Lyon,"  replied 
Captain  Halliburn. 


PREPARATIONS  FOR  THE  DEFENCE     77 

"The  third  and  seventh  companies,  with  the 
Home  Guard  detachment,  will  be  posted  there, 
under  the  command  of  Major  Lyon ;  and  the 
three  companies  will  be  the  reserve.  I  shall  be 
first  with  the  battery,  and  all  the  time  where  I 
can  overlook  the  whole  field.  If  -I  find  it  neces- 
sary, I  shall  order  the  bridge  to  be  destroyed ; 
and  that  would  carry  the  burden  of  the  fighting 
to  the  ford,  where  the  major's  force  will  have  to 
stand  the  brunt  of  the  battle  till  it  can  be  re-en- 
forced by  the  first  or  second  company." 

"  I  think  we  can  stand  it,  though  Captain 
Knox's  company  is  not  yet  in  the  highest  state 
of  discipline,"  added  Deck,  not  sorry  to  find  that 
he  was  to  have  an  important  position  in  the  line 
of  battle. 

"I  have  stated  the  plan  of  the  defence  fully, 
and  I  trust  it  is  clearly  understood  ;  Imt  I  am 
ready  to  answer  any  questions,"  said  the  colonel, 
with  a  gape  which  indicated  what  he  needed 
next,  though  he  had  passed  many  sleepless 
nights  on  the  field. 

No  one  asked  any  questions,  for  each  officer 
understood  his  share   of  duty  in  the  action.     It 


78  AT   THE  FRONT 

was  eleven  o'clock,  and  the  inliabitants  of  the 
village  were  all  asleep.  No  loafer  or  night  wan- 
derer had  disturbed  the  conference  on  the  bridge, 
and  not  a  word  of  it  could  have  been  overheard 
by  any  person.  The  officers  went  to  the  camps 
where  they  belonged ;  but  the  first  thing  Colonel 
Lyon  did  when  he  reached  his  tent,  before  which 
was  a  guard,  was  to  send  for  Major  Batterson. 
While  his  orderly  was  gone  to  summon  him, 
the  commander  seated  himself  at  his  table,  and 
drew  a  plan  of  the  battle. 

"  Major,  I  have  made  all  my  dispositions  for 
the  affair  of  to-morrow,  however  early  or  late  it 
may  open,"  said  the  colonel  when  the  comman- 
der of  the  battery  appeared,  pointing  on  his 
drawing  to  the  elevation  where  the  guns  were  to 
be  planted.  "  You  will  throw  up  a  breastwork 
there,  from  which  you  can  enfilade  the  enemy  on 
his  approach  as  soon  as  the  regiment  reaches  the 
turn  in  the  road.  Sixty-three  riflemen  will  be 
posted  in  the  wood  on  the  other  side  of  the  high- 
way, and  their  line  will  extend  to  the  bend  in 
the  road.  Of  coui^se  you  will  not  throw  any  shot 
or  shells  into  the  wood  this  side  of  the  bend." 


PREPARATIONS  FOR  THE  DEFENCE     79 

"Certainly  not,"  replied  the  major.  "I  will 
not  kill  or  wound  our  own  men." 

"  You  can  turn  your  men  out  as  early  as  may 
be  necessary  to  complete  the  breastwork  by  day- 
light. The  battalion  will  be  under  arms  by  three 
o'clock,"  said  the  colonel,  with  another  gape.  "  I 
intend  this  affair  shall  be  a  surprise  to  the  en- 
emy. Captain  HalLiburn  has  sent  out  mounted 
scouts  on  the  road,  who  will  prevent  any  disloyal 
persons  in  the  village  from  carrying  information 
to  the  enemy." 

"My  command  will  be  on  that  hill  at  three 
o'clock  in  the  morning,"  added  Major  Batterson 
as  he  returned  to  his  tent. 

Colonel  Lyon  rolled  himself  up  in  his  blanket, 
and  stretched  himself  upon  the  ground  where  his 
orderly  had  prepared  the  best  bed  he  could  for 
him;  and  he  was  asleep  almost  as  soon  as  he 
touched  it,  for  by  this  time  he  was  an  old  cam- 
paigner, and  could  go  to  sleep  at  any  hour,  by 
day  or  night,  and  even  when  he  was  seated  on 
his  horse.  He  slept  just  four  hours,  which  was 
enough  for  him,  and  then  he  was  on  his  feet.  The 
several  companies  were  already  stirring,  and  the 


80  AT   THE   FRONT 

horses  were  eating  their  grain.  The  tents  were 
rolled  up,  and  placed  in  the  wagons.  The  am- 
munition was  served  out,  and  the  men  were  eat- 
ing their  breakfast  of  ham  and  hardtack,  washed 
down  with  coffee.  At  three  o'clock  the  lines  were 
formed,  and  the  colonel  gave  the  order  for  the 
lieutenant-colonel  and  the  major  to  move  their 
respective  commands  to  the  locations  assigned  to 
them. 

Major  Batterson  had  his  battery  on  the  hill, 
which  was  not  more  than  fifty  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  water  in  the  creek ;  and  his  men  were 
very  industriously  using  their  picks  and  shovels, 
assisted  by  a  force  from  the  town,  for  which  the 
colonel  had  applied  the  night  before.  The  guns 
were  soon  planted  at  the  breastwork  thrown  up, 
loaded  with  canister,  and  all  ready  to  open  the 
battle.  Colonel  Lyon  rode  over  to  the  hill  to  as- 
sure himself  that  everything  was  ready  for  the 
expected  conflict.  Major  Batterson  was  as  enthu- 
siastic as  an  officer  could  be,  and  nothing  was 
left  undone  in  his  lines. 

Looking  down  from  the  hill,  the  colonel  could 
see   nothing  of   the   troopers  in  the  positions  to 


PREPARATIONS  FOR  THE  DEFENCE      81 

wliich  he  had  assigned  them  ;  and  he  did  not 
wish  to  see  them,  for  their  olficers  had  been 
ordered  to  keep  them  under  cover.  He  rode 
down  to  the  bridge,  and  to  the  parts  of  the 
village  nearest  to  it,  and  found  that  the  lieu- 
tenant had  posted  his  force  in  admirable  posi- 
tions for  the  duty  they  were  to  perform.  The 
major's  force  was  in  a  grove  where  they  could 
not  possibly  be  seen  from  the  Harrison  road. 
At  the  same  time,  both  of  these  forces  could 
fall  upon  the  enemy  without  a  moment's  delay 
when  it  should  be  necessary  to  check  the  enemy. 
From  these  points  Colonel  Lyon  rode  into  the 
woods,  and  found  the  sharpshooters  all  in  posi- 
tion to  discharge  the  important  duty  assigned  to 
them. 

The  commander  had  studied  his  maps  very  at- 
tentively, and  had  learned,  from  those  who  were 
familiar  with  the  locality,  that  the  woods  ex- 
tended as  far  south  as  Montpelier,  and  nearly 
to  Millers ville.  If  the  enemy  were  checked  or 
turned  back,  they  could  not  reach  the  other  side 
of  the  village  except  by  going  back  to  Harrison, 
and  making  their  way  round  by  Jamestown  and 


82  -AT   THE   FEONT 

Millersville.  The  company  of  Home  Guards  at 
the  latter,  where  Captain  Halliburn  had  left  them 
to  defend  the  town,  had  scouts  out  watching  the 
approaches  from  the  east  and  the  south ;  for  raids 
were  expected  as  the  Confederate  armies  moved 
towards  the  centre  of  the  State,  with  Louisville 
and  Cincinnati  as  their  objective  points. 

At  six  o'clock  in  the  morning  a  small  move- 
ment was  detected  in  the  Harrison  road ;  but  it 
proved  to  be  the  mounted  scouts  of  the  Home 
Guard,  and  not  of  the  enemy's  cavalry.  Captain 
Halliburn  recognized  them  by  signals  agreed 
upon;  for  he  and  Lieutenant  Ripley  had  posted 
themselves  on  the  bridge,  which  commanded  a 
clear  view  of  the  road.  The  scouts  came  in, 
and  it  was  evident  from  the  condition  of  their 
horses  that  they  had  had  a  hard  ride.  They 
reported  that  the  enemy's  cavalry  had  marched 
at  four  o'clock,  and  could  not  be  expected  to 
arrive  before  eight.  But  at  half-past  seven  the 
force  appeared.  Not  a  sound  could  be  heard  in 
the  village,  or  on  either  side  of  the  bridge. 
Doubtless  the  enemy  expected  to  surprise  the 
Home  Guard,  known  to  be  there.     The  regiment 


PREPARATIONS  FOR  THE  DEFENCE      83 

advanced  confidently  till  the  head  of  the  column 
reached  the  bend  in  the  road,  and  then  the  six 
guns  of  the  battery  poured  their  canister  into 
the  head  of  the  line. 


84  AT   THE   FEONT 


CHAPTER   VI 

THE   CHARGE    OF    THE    ENEMY    ON   THE   HILL 

The  guns  of  the  battery  were  not  discharged 
together,  but  followed  one  another  in  rapid  suc- 
cession. The  cannoneers  were  thoroughly  drilled, 
and  when  the  first  piece  was  fired  it  was  drawn 
back  and  reloaded  with  all  the  rapidity  which 
skill  and  practice  could  give.  There  was  no 
wind ;  but  the  air  was  still,  without  a  puff  to 
carry  off  the  smoke,  which  la}-  in  a  dense  volume, 
and  prevented  Major  Batterson  from  seeing  what 
effect  his  canister  had  produced  in  the  ranks 
of  the  enemy. 

Colonel  Lyon  had  found  an  elevation  near  the 
bridge,  which  he  mounted  on  his  horse,  and  from 
which  he  could  see  the  Confederate  force.  It 
was  near  the  buildings  behind  which  the  first 
and  second  companies  were  posted ;  and  as  he 
passed  Colonel  Gordon,  he  beckoned  to  him  to 
follow,  as  he  wanted  him  to   understand  clearly 


CHARGE  OF  THE  ENEMY  ON  THE  HILL    85 

the  situation,  for  he  was  to  execute  the  next 
movement  in  the  plan.  The  first  shot  was  evi- 
dently a  surprise ;  for  the  entire  force  of  the 
defenders  of  the  town  was  completely  masked, 
and  the  colonel  of  the  approaching  regiment 
could  have  had  no  suspicion  of  the  presence -of 
the  well-placed  battalion. 

The  effect  of  the  first  shot  was  very  decided ; 
and  several  of  the  troopers  were  seen  to  fall  from 
their  horses,  and  there  was  no  little  confusion 
in  the  ranks.  The  first  discharge  was  followed 
by  the  second,  with  very  little  interval  between 
them.  At  the  same  time  the  crack  of  the  rifles 
in  the  woods  could  be  heard ;  and  Lieutenant 
Ripley  appeared  to  be  using  the  same  tactics  he 
had  applied  on  the  two  former  occasions  when  he 
had  rendered  such  efficient  service  in  securing  the 
victory.  His  men  took  careful  aim,  and  no  two 
riflemen  marked  the  same  person  for  their  victim. 
Several  officers  had  been  marching  leisurely  at 
the  head  of  the  column ;  for  it  was  plain  that 
they,  expected  to  choose  their  own  time  and  place 
for  the  attack,  if  the  appearance  of  such  a  body 
of  troops  did  not  awe  the  defenders  of  the  place 


86  AT   THE   FRONT 

into  an  immediate  surrender.  Their  easy  and 
careless  approach  indicated  something  of  this 
kind. 

"They  are  getting  more  than  they  bargained 
for,"  said  Colonel  Gordon,  as  the  observers  real- 
ized that  the  riflemen  were  picking  off  the  officers 
of  the  regiment. 

"  It  is  all  working  precisely  as  I  expected  it 
would,"  added  Colonel  Lyon,  who  did  not  seem 
to  be  at  all  excited  by  the  scene  before  him. 
"  Ripley  is  picking  off  the  officers,  and  several 
of  them  have  already  dropped  from  their  horses." 

"  The  commander  of  the  force  has  retired  to 
the  side  of  the  road,  and  must  be  severely 
wounded,"  added  Gordon. 

"  Batterson  strikes  them  at  the  bend  of  the 
road  and  beyond,  and  he  has  followed  my  in- 
structions to  the  letter;  therefore  he  has  not 
aimed  at  the  head  of  the  column,"  said  the  colo- 
nel. "  It  is  Ripley's  men  who  have  brought 
down  the  officers,  and  they  are  still  falling." 

"  He  is  striking  them  now  about  in  their  third 
company,  and  he  is  doing  terrible  execution  in 
their  ranks,"  replied  Gordon. 


CHARGE  OF  THE  ENEMY  ON  THE  HILL    87 

"  It  looks  very  much  like  a  slaughter ;  and  I 
doubt  if  your  two  companies  will  have  much, 
if  anytliing,  to  do,"  continued  the  colonel,  as 
he  saw  the  terrible  havoc  made  by  the  guns  and 
the  riflemen. 

He  had  hardly  spoken  the  words  before  the 
company,  or  what  was  left  of  it,  broke  and  gal- 
loped to  the  rear.  The  next  company  followed 
its  example,  for  the  road  here  was  wide  enough 
to  permit  their  passage  outside  of  the  column. 
Colonel  Lyon  remained  as  unmoved  as  before ;  for 
though  he  was  quick  to  take  advantage  of  any 
favorable  occasion,  he  was  not  the  man  to  make 
a  move  without  due  reflection.  It  was  plain 
enough  that  the  enemy  would  abandon  the  field, 
and  flee  to  a  place  of  safety,  or  that  a  new  dis- 
position of  the  force  would  be  made.  The  Con- 
federate colonel  was  disabled,  and  was  being 
borne  to  the  rear.  Simply  because  he  had  not 
suspected  the  near  presence  of  any  enemy  other 
than  the  Home  Guard,  he  had  needlessly  exposed 
himself  to  tlie  fate  which  had  overtaken  him. 

The  panic  in  the  companies  at  the  head  of  the 
column    had    been    communicated    to    the    entire 


88  AT    THE    FRONT 

regiment.  Both  of  the  officers  on  the  knoll  had 
brought  their  field-glasses  into  use  as  soon  as  the 
enemy  broke,  and  Colonel  Gordon  had  counted 
ten  companies  on  the  retreat.  An  officer  on  the 
left  flank  of  the  column  had  attracted  the  atten- 
tion of  the  colonel  when  the  panic  began,  and  he 
was  observing  his  movements  very  closely.  He 
had  marched  at  about  the  middle  of  the  line,  and 
he  concluded  that  he  was  the  major ;  but  Gordon 
was  confident  that  he  was  the  lieutenant-colonel, 
though  he  was  in  the  usual  position  of  the  major. 

"  He  gave  the  order  to  '  about  face,'  and  to 
retreat,"  added  Colonel  Gordon. 

"  It  does  not  make  much  difference  what  he  is ; 
but  he  has  evidently  taken  the  command  of  the 
regiment,  and  has  given  the  order  for  the  retreat, 
the  only  sensible  thing  he  could  do,"  replied  the 
colonel.  "The  only  question  now  is  what  they 
will  do  next." 

"  The  colonel  is  certainly  used  up  for  the  pres- 
ent, and  all  we  have  to  do  is  to  wait  for  the 
next  move  on  the  part  of  the  enemy.  Batterson 
has  ceased  firing,  for  the  enemy  have  passed  out 
of  the  reach  of  his  guns;   and  the  riflemen  have 


CHARGE    OF    THE    ENEIVIY    ON    THE    HILL  89 

done  the  same.  The  force  have  discovered  by 
this  time  that  the  place  is  defended  by  something 
more  than  the  Home  Guard." 

Colonel  Lyon  was  silent  for  some  minutes ;  but 
he  was  making  a  careful  examination  of  the  coun- 
try on  the  east  of  the  town,  the  portion  of  which 
nearest  to  the  battery  was  a  tobacco-field.  Be- 
yond was  a  large  area  of  hemp.  It  was  the 
middle  of  August,  and  there  had  lately  been  no 
heavy  rains.  The  land  was  therefore  dry,  with 
only  a  few  scattering  trees  upon  it.  The  creek 
flowed  about  half-way  between  the  road  and  the 
elevation  on  which  the  battery  was  posted. 

"  I  think  I  can  see  what  the  enemy  will  do 
next,"  said  the  colonel,  when  he  had  completed 
his  survey  of  the  fields  on  the  east. 

"  They  evidently  believe  that  the  battery  has 
done  all,  or  the  most,  of  the  mischief  to  their 
column ;  and  they  will  take  to  the  fields,  and 
endeavor  to  capture  it,"  suggested  the  lieutenant- 
colonel. 

"  That  is  exactly  my  view  of  the  situation," 
answered  Colonel  Lyon,  who  seemed  to  be  pre- 
pared   to    act.       "You    will    uncover   your    com- 


90  AT    THE    FRONT 

panies,  and  march  over  the  bridge  to  the  woods 
at  the  side  of  the  road,  Colonel  Gordon." 

The  colonel  spoke  very  decidedly,  and  his  com- 
panion rode  off  hastily  to  execute  the  command. 
The  troopers  had  done  nothing  thus  far,  and 
they  were  anxious  to  be  led  into  the  conflict. 
In  a  few  minutes  they  were  posted  on  the  verge 
of  the  wood,  which  was  too  dense  for  the  move- 
ments of  cavalry.  Colonel  Lyon  galloped  his 
fleet  steed  down  the  hill  and  over  the  bridge  to 
the  position  assigned  to  the  major.  He  ordered 
Deck  to  march  his  command  to  the  knoll  where 
he  had  observed  the  progress  of  the  action. 

"  Major  Lyon,  you  will  support  the  battery ; 
for  in  the  course  of  an  hour,  perhaps  within  half 
an  hour,  the  enemy  is  likely  to  attempt  to  cap- 
ture it.  You  will  be  greatly  outnumbered,  but 
we  must  not  lose  the  battery." 

"  It  shall  not  be  lost,"  replied  Deck  confidently. 

"  Don't  be  too  sure,  for  there  will  be  hard 
fighting  on  that  hill  if  the  men  on  the  other 
side  have  not  lost  their  pluck.  How  are  your 
men?  " 

"  They   are    full   of   fight,    and   are    very   impa- 


CHARGE  OF  THE  ENEMY  OX  THE  HILL    91 

tient  to  be  brought  into  action.  Captain  Knox 
has  primed  them  up  to  the  highest  notch.  They 
are  nearly  all  great  stalwart  fellows,  and  they 
will  make  a  havoc  wherever  they  go.  I  think 
Life  enlisted  only  the  biggest  men  he  could  find; 
and  he  says  there  is  another  company  at  least 
that  could  be  enlisted  in  Muhlenburg  County." 

"We  will  talk  of  that  another  time.  March 
your  command  to  the  hill,  and  report  to  Major 
Batterson  what  you  are  there  for,"  added  the 
colonel,  as  he  rode  over  to  the  wood. 

The  major  moved  his  companies  on  the  in- 
stant, and  his  father  saw  them  posted  on  the  hill 
where  they  could  defend  the  battery  to  the  best 
advantage.  The  colonel  found  Lieutenant  Rip- 
ley's riflemen  formed  in  line  in  the  wood ;  for 
they  had  accomplished  their  mission  as  far  as  it 
could  be  done,  and  had  fired  till  the  enemy  were 
out  of  rifle  range  of  them. 

"  You  have  done  exceedingly  well.  Lieutenant 
Ripley,  and  I  thank  you  for  your  efficient  ser- 
vice," said  the  colonel,  in  the  hearing  of  all  the 
riflemen,  wdiom  he  intended  to  compliment  as  well 
as  their  officer. 


92  AT    THE    FRONT 

"Is  the  battle  ended,  Colonel?"  asked  the 
lieutenant. 

"No,  I  think  not;  but  we  have  to  wait  for 
the  next  move  of  the  enemy.  The  regiment  has 
lost  its  colonel,  who  was  either  killed  or  seriously 
wounded." 

"  I  ought  to  know  that,  for  I  fired  the  shot 
that  brought  him  down,"  replied  the  lieutenant. 

"  We  have  not  the  time  to  talk  about  it  now, 
Lieutenant.  You  are  better  acquainted  with  this 
locality  than  I  am,  and  you  are  aware  that  there 
is  a  selvage  of  trees  along  the  south  side  of 
Russell's  Creek,  between  the  road  and  the  stream; 
they  have  been  cut  off  on  tlie  other  side  to  make 
room  for  tobacco  plants,"  continued  the  colonel. 

"  I  know  all  about  it.  Colonel,  for  I  have  fished 
that  stream  for  fifty  years,"  replied  Ripley. 

"  You  will  post  your  men  in  those  trees,  Lieu- 
tenant Ripley. 

"With  the  road  behind  them?"  asked  the 
rifleman,  with  some  surprise  in  his  expression. 

"  Precisely  so ;  for  that  road  will  not  be  used 
again  at  present  for  an  attack,  you  may  be  very 
sure.      The  next  move  of  the  enemy  will   be  to 


CHARGE  OB^  THE  ENEMY  ON  THE  HILL    93 

attempt  to  capture  the  battery,  which  they  doubt- 
less believe  did  all  the  mischief  to  the  Confeder- 
ate column.  I  don't  think  they  were  aware  that 
sharpshooters  were  stationed  in  this  grove." 

"  They  found  it  out  when  the  surgeons  exam- 
ined the  wounds  of  the  men  that  fell." 

"The  work  was  well  done,  and  it  makes  little 
difference  whether  or  not  the  enemy  know  who 
did  it.  Now,  Lieutenant,  that  you  may  know  the 
situation,  I  expect  the  next  attack  will  he  made 
from  the  tobacco-field.  The  commander  of  the 
force  cannot  know  yet  that  there  is  anything  but 
the  Home  Guard  behind  that  battery.  Now  post 
your  men;  and  I  need  not  say  anything  more  to 
you.  Lieutenant  Ripley,  for  I  know  that  you  will 
do  your  whole  duty,"  said  the  colonel. 

Colonel  Lyon  saw  that  Gordon's  command 
were  on  the  verge  of  the  wood,  and  then  rode 
over  the  bridge  to  the  battery.  He  found  that 
Major  Batterson's  men,  assisted  by  those  of 
Deck's  command,  were  at  work  with  their  picks 
and  shovels,  enlarging  and  raising  the  breast- 
work. Mounted  on  his  horse,  he  could  now  just 
see  over  the  rampart. 


94  AT    THE   FRONT 

"  Have  you  kept  a  lookout,  Major  Battersou, 
in  the  direction  the  enemy  retreated  ?  "  inquired 
the  colonel,  when  both  majors  came  to  his  side. 

"  I  have,  Colonel ;  but  there  is  no  movement 
yet,"  replied  the  commander  of  the  battery. 

"  With  the  field-glass  I  made  out  certain 
movements  on  the  part  of  the  enemy  which  indi- 
cated that  they  were  establishing  a  hospital  on 
the  other  side  of  the  plain  occupied  by  the  plan- 
tations," said  Major  Lyon. 

"  I  think  they  are  at  dinner  on  the  side  of 
that  hill,"  added  the  other  major. 

"Then  we  had  better  do  the  same  thing," 
added  the  colonel ;  and  he  gave  the  order  to  that 
effect. 

As  the  men  had  to  dine  out  of  their  haver- 
sacks, it  was  not  a  formidable  affair,  and  in 
twenty  minutes  they  were  ready  for  action. 

"  They  are  forming  in  column  for  a  march  up 
the  road  they  used  before,"  said  Deck,  as  he 
was  munching  his  ham  and  hardtack. 

"  But  they  will  not  come  a  great  distance  on 
that  road,"  added  Colonel  Lyon,  who  Avas  en- 
gaged in  the  same  necessary  operation. 


CHARGE    OF    THE    ENEMY    ON    THE    HILL  95 

Every  man  who  could  see  across  the  plain  was 
looking  out  in  the  same  direction.  When  the 
regiment  had  crossed  about  half-way  over,  men 
were  sent  to  remove  the  fence,  and  the  com- 
mander led  the  way  into  the  field. 

The  force  moved  at  a  gallop  in  the  direction 
of  the  battery,  the  guns  of  which  were  loaded 
with  shell  this  time.  Just  out  of  reach  of 
gunshot,  the  regiment  halted,  and  one-half  of  it 
kept  to  the  right,  and  the  other  half  to  the  left. 
Each  division  was  led  by  an  officer,  and  they 
were  plucky  fellows  to  expose  themselves  in 
front  of  the  columns ;  and  this  fact  seemed  to  in- 
dicate that  they  were  now  aware  of  the  presence 
on  the  field  of  the  sharpshooters.  The  men  hur- 
ried their  horses  to  the  top  of  their  speed.  The 
two  divisions  were  not  more  than  two  hundred 
feet  apart,  and  both  of  them  were  within  the 
range  of  the  riflemen. 

The  elevation  on  which  the  battery  was  planted 
was  called  a  hill  merely  because  it  was  higher  at 
its  summit  than  the  surrounding  region  ;  but  it 
was  only  fifty  feet  above  the  water-level  of  the 
creek,    and   the    descent   on    all   sides    was    very 


96  AT   THE   FEONT 

gradual.  The  cannoneers  were  behind  the  breast- 
work ;  and  the  enemy  could  make  no  use  of  their 
carbines  or  muskets,  whichever  they  were.  They 
made  no  halt  at  the  foot  of  the  slope,  but  had 
gathered  up  for  an  impetuous  charge. 

Three  of  the  guns  were  to  act  upon  each  of 
the  divisions  of  the  regiment.  At  the  command 
of  the  major,  a  shell  was  thrown  into  the  middle 
of  the  first  company  in  each  column.  The  fuses 
had  been  well  timed,  the  parabola  accurately  cal- 
culated, and  the  shells  exploded  just  as  the 
commander  intended.  They  created  considerable 
confusion,  but  they  did  not  stop  the  advance  en- 
tirely. Half  a  dozen  men  were  seen  to  fall. 
But  the  brave  officers  at  the  front  rallied  their 
troopers,  and  the  advance  was  continued  as  im- 
petuously as  before.  Then  the  second  shells 
were  thrown  into  the  columns ;  but  they  were 
less  destructive  than  the  first  had  been.  The 
column  pressed  forward,  apparently  unshaken  by 
the  shells  ;  and  at  this  moment  Major  Lyon 
poured  his  men  down  upon  the  enemy  from  each 
end  of  the  breastwork. 


A  BREAK  IN  THE  ENEMY'S  COLUMNS     97 


CHAPTER   VIJ 

A   BKEAK   in   the    ENEJVIY'S    COLUjVINS 

Major  Batterson  was  compelled  to  silence 
his  guns  when  Captain  Life  Knox  led  his  com- 
pany in  the  charge  against  the  heads  of  the  two 
columns  of  the  enemy.  Captain  Halliburn,  with 
the  Home  Guards,  attacked  the  enemy  on  their 
left;  and  in  spite  of  their  name  they  were  equal 
to  any  of  the  regular  force.  Both  of  the  char- 
ging parties  were  required  to  keep  as  near  the 
breastwork  as  possible,  in  order  to  give  the  rifle- 
men the  space  to  put  in  their  deadly  work. 

Colonel  Lyon  rode  down  to  the  knoll  where 
the  first  and  second  companies  had  been  posted, 
to  obtain  a  better  view  of  the  entire  field.  Life, 
at  the  head  of  the  big  men  of  his  command,  had 
made  a  furious  onslaught.  The  riflemen  were 
posted  in  the  trees  on  the  bank  of  the  creek,  and 
they  had  a  full  view  of  the  advancing  enemy. 
The  riders  in  both  divisions  of  the  regiment  be- 


98  AT    THK    FRONT 

gan  to  fall  from  their  horses  as  soon  as  they 
attempted  to  ascend  the  gradual  slope.  The 
present  commander  of  the  force  was  less  reck- 
less in  exposing  himself  than  his  predecessor  had 
been,  and  had  placed  himself  behind  the  com- 
panies making  the  charge.  He  could  not  help 
seeing  that  his  men  were  picked  off  at  a  very 
rapid  rate.  They  dropped  from  their  horses,  or 
were  wounded,  while  they  were  at  a  considerable 
distance  from  the  heat  of  the  charge. 

He  could  see  that  they  were  not  brought  down 
by  sabre  wounds,  and  at  first  he  was  perplexed; 
but  he  soon  discovered  the  men  placed  in  the 
grove,  for  they  made  but  little  use  of  the  trees, 
as  there  was  no  firing  into  their  position.  Not 
half  of  his  force  was  engaged,  for  not  more  than 
four  companies  could  get  near  enough  to  the 
breastwork  to  be  of  any  service  ;  and  most  of 
the  loss  was  in  the  force  which  had  found  space 
enough  to  act  on  the  slope  of  the  elevation. 

The  regiment  wore  the  uniform  of  the  Con- 
federate army ;  and  their  gray  coats  could  be 
easily  distinguished  from  the  blue  of  the  Union 
force   by  the   sharpshooters,  who  had  been  care- 


A    BREAK    IN    THE    ENEMY.'s    COLUMNS  99 

fully  instructed  by  the  colonel  not  to  fire  at 
those  who  were  engaged  in  repelling  the  charge ; 
for  that  would  be  perilous  to  the  Kentuckians 
at  the  front.  The  commander  of  the  enemy  was 
seen  to  send  an  officer  in  the  direction  of  the 
rear  ;  but  he  had  not  gone  ten  rods  before  he 
dropped  from  his  horse.  A  second  officer  was 
sent  as  soon  as  the  fate  of  the  first  was  noted; 
but  he  shared  the  fate  of  the  other. 

The  riflemen  were  all  mounted  men,  but  their 
horses  were  at  the  jDicket-lines  on  the  other  side 
of  the  creek.  When  the  Riverlawns  were  in 
this  section  of  the  State  befo^'e.  there  had  been 
talk  relating  to  the  forming  of  a  company  of 
mounted  riflemen  ;  but  in  the  more  quiet  times 
that  followed  the  battle  of  Mill  Spring,  and  the 
departure  of  the  enemy  from  this  part  of  the 
State,  nothing  had  come  of  it.  Lieutenant  Ripley 
had  been  in  command  of  the  sharpshooters  when 
they  rendered  very  important  service  in  connec- 
tion with  the  cavalry ;  and  he  was  reputed  the 
best  shot  in  liis  county.  He  was  sixty  years 
old ;  but  he  was  still  as  hale  and  hearty  as  he 
had    been   at   forty,    and   his    eyesight   was    evi- 


100  AT   THE    FRONT 

dently  not  in  the  least  impaired  by  his  years,  for 
he  was  still  a  dead  shot.  Butters,  who  had 
been  the  keeper  of  the  jail  at  Jamestown,  was 
hardly  less  in  repute  as  a  marksman ;  and  he  had 
been  also  a  lieutenant  without  a  commission  in 
the  company  of  sixty-four  at  that  time.  He 
was  still  in  the  Home  Guard,  and  was  present 
with  it. 

Ripley  had  the  right  of  his  line,  and  Butters 
had  taken  a  position  at  his  side,  as  there  was 
no  manoeuvring  of  the  force ;  for  each  man 
acted  for  himself,  mider  the  instructions  given 
them  beforehand. 

"I  suppose  it  will  not  take  much  calculating 
to  tell  what  that  man  is  sent  off  for.  Butters," 
said  Ripley,  as  the  officer  rode  out  of  the  column 
on  its  left  flank,  and  as  he  di'ew  his  bead  on 
him. 

He  fired  while  the  man  was  on  the  wing,  and 
he  dropped  to  the  ground,  while  Ripley  was 
loading  his  rifle  again.  The  commander's  eye 
had  followed  him  till  the  messenger  went  down, 
and  his  horse  galloped  away  to  the  rear.  The 
second  man   was   started  on  the   same   errand  a 


A    BllEAK    IN   THE    ENEMY'S    COLUMNS         101 

minute  later,  and  the  rifle  of  Butters  covered 
him.  He  shared  the  fate  of  the  first,  though  he 
was  not  killed,  and  a  couple  of  the  riders  has- 
tened to  his  assistance. 

"  I  reckon  all  this  means  that  we  are  to  have 
a  hornets'  nest  let  loose  in  front  of  us,"  sa'id 
Butters,  as  he  loaded  his  Aveapon. 

"  One  or  two  companies  are  to  be  sent  this 
way  to  clean  us  out,"  added  Ripley.  '  "All  that 
is  plain  enough." 

"  That  feller  that  commands  the  force  on  the 
other  side  is  a  brave  man,  but  he  won't  hold 
still  long  enough  to  be  shot,"  continued  Butters. 
"  He  keeps  behind  that  big  tree  in  the  field." 

"  I  don't  blame  him  for  that ;  for  his  troopers 
are  falling  all  around  him,  and  he  wouldn't  last 
two  minutes  if  he  uncovered  himself." 

"We  are  go'n'  to  have  a  fight  in  close  quar- 
ters very  soon,"  suggested  Butters;  "for  the  com- 
mander has  sent  a  messenger  out  on  the  inside 
of  his  line,  and  we  can't  see  him.  I  saw  him 
give  the  order,  but  I  lost  sight  of  the  messenger 
before  I  could  fire." 

"When  the  company  comes  it  will  be  on  the 


102  AT   THE   FRONT 

other  side  of  the  creek ;  and  it  is  about  a  hun- 
dred feet  wide  just  here,"  replied  Ripley. 

While  they  were  talking  about  what  they 
were  to  expect,  Colonel  Lyon's  orderly  went 
with  a  note  to  Colonel  Gordon,  whose  two  com- 
panies were  posted  in  the  grove  at  the  side  of 
the  road.  The  receiver  glanced  at  the  note, 
which  was  as  brief  as  a  telegraphic  despatch, 
and  then  ordered  the  two  captains  to  march 
over  the  bridge  to  the  knoll  where  the  colonel 
was  observing  the  action.  Captain  Halliburn, 
with  his  forty-seven  men,  had  charged  upon  the 
head  of  the  column  of  the  enemy  on  the  left; 
but  his  small  force  was  greatly  outnumbered, 
and  he  was  compelled   to  fall  back. 

Captain  Belthorpe  was  sent  to  his  assistance ; 
and,  as  instructed  by  the  colonel,  he  marched 
his  company  along  the  creek  to  the  rear  of  the 
enemy,  whose  right  j^latoon  was  pressing  Cap- 
tain Halliburn's  command.  At  this  point  they 
fell  upon  the  second  platoon,  Tom  Belthorpe 
leading  in  person.  They  fired  their  carbines 
first,  and  several  of  the  troopers  in  front  of  him 
fell.     Then  they  charged  with  all  the  vim  which 


A    BREAK    IN    THE    ENEMY'S    COLUMNS         103 

distinguished  the  Riverlawns,  and  crowded  the 
company  off  their  ground  in  the  direction  of  the 
right  flank  of  the  regiment. 

Captain  Truman  was  sent  over  the  hill  in  the 
rear  of  the  breastwork,  and  came  into  the  field 
on  the  left  of  it.  Immediately  in  front  of  tiie 
work,  Life  Knox,  with  his  undisciplined  Ken- 
tuckians,  had  been  doing  wonders  ;  but  it  was  a 
hand-to-hand  fight,  and  discipline  did  not  count 
for  much  in  such  an  affair.  As  Captain  Bel- 
thovpe  had  done,  Captain  Truman,  as  ordered 
by  the  colonel,  struck  the  enemy  at  the  second 
platoon  of  the  first  company.  The  men  charged 
as  impetuously  as  they  always  did,  and  both  the 
first  and  second  companies  seemed  to  ride  over 
the  enemy  as  though  the  Confederates  had  been 
only  pygmies  in  their  path.  The  result  of  this 
tremendous  double  onslaught  was  that  the  enemy 
were  thrown  into  confusion ;  and  in  spite  of  the 
rallying  cry  of  the  officer  behind  the  tree,  they 
fled  from  the  field  on  the  right  of  their  columns, 
which  was  the  only  open  space  by  which  they 
could  escape  from  the  terrible  sabres  of  the 
Union  cavalry. 


104  AT    THE   FRONT 

But  the  beaten  foe  had  no  sooner  passed,  as 
it  were,  out  of  the  fangs  of  the  Riverlawns, 
than  the  artillery  opened  upon  them,  and  the 
flight  was  kept  up  till  they  were  out  of  the 
range  of  the  guns.  Colonel  Lyon  rode  up  to 
the  breastwork,  dismounted,  and  placed  liimself 
where  he  could  command  a  full  view  of  the 
entire  battlefield.  The  two  companies  which  had 
led  in  the  assault  on  the  works  had  been  ridden 
down,  and  beaten  from  the  field.  The  Union 
troops  held  the  ground  they  had  occupied. 

"  Never  mind  the  two  companies  that  are  run- 
ning away.  Major  Batterson.  Don't  waste  any 
more  powder  upon  them,"  said  the  colonel,  when 
the  commander  of  the  battery  had  placed  him- 
self at  his  side.  "  It  is  time  to  act  for  a  new 
combination.  Open  with  shells  upon  the  main 
body  of  the  enemy.  They  are  somewhat  stag- 
gered by  the  disaster  at  their  front.  Fire  two 
rounds  of  shells  into  them,  and  then  I  shall 
order  an  advance  of  the  whole  line.  I  see  that 
the  riflemen  by  the  creek  are  still  at  work,  for 
the  men  in  the  enemy's  columns  are  falling  in 
both  divisions." 


A    BllEAK    IN    THE   ENEMY's    COLUMNS         105 

There  was  a  pause  in  the  engagement;  and 
Colonel  Lyon  hastily  wrote  a  few  lines  with  a 
pencil  on  the  "block"  he  carried  in  his  pocket, 
and  tore  off  the  sheet,  which  he  sent  by  his 
orderly  to  Lieutenant  Ripley.  The  men  were 
having  a  breathing-spell ;  but  many  of  them  .be- 
lieved they  had  already  won  the  battle,  though 
the  commander  did  not.  The  question  with  him 
was  whether  the  commander  of  the  enemy  be- 
hind the  tree  would  order  a  retreat  by  the  way 
the  force  had  come,  or  an  advance  upon  the  four 
companies,  with  Captain  Halliburn's  command, 
which  had  just  driven  from  the  field  the  heads 
of  his  columns.  While  he  was  probably  consid- 
ering what  he  should  do,  the  battery  opened 
upon  his  command  with  shells,  which  created  a 
great  excitement,  if  not  a  panic,  among  his 
men.  At  the  same  time  a  company  was  discov- 
ered moving  at  full  gallop  from  the  rear  of  the 
column  towards  the  front,  but  soon  diverging 
from  a  straight  line  in  the  direction  of  the 
creek ;  and  it  was  evident  to  the  colonel  that 
this  force  was  sent  to  clean  out  the  riflemen  on 
the  other  side  of  the  creek. 


106  AT   THE    FRONT 

"  Throw  two  of  your  shells  into  that  company, 
Major,"  said  the  colonel. 

"  Do  you  mean  to  attack  with  a  single  com- 
pany, Colonel?"  asked  the  major,  as  his  can- 
noneers were  training  the  two  guns  on  the  right 
to  obey  the  order. 

"By  no  means,"  replied  Colonel  Lyon.  "That 
force  is  sent  to  the  creek  to  drive  out  the  rifle- 
men, who  are  doing  a  great  deal  of  mischief  in 
the   ranks  of  the   enemy." 

The  shells  were  thrown  as  directed,  and  the 
first  one  burst  in  the  very  midst  of  the  com- 
pany, for  they  were  pointed  by  the  major  him- 
self. The  effect  was  very  decided,  and  the 
troopers  scattered  in  every  available  direction ; 
but  the  captain  was  a  brave  and  plucky  man, 
and  with  a  loud  voice  he  rallied  his  men.  They 
were  returning  to  the  ranks  when  a  rifle-ball 
silenced  him  forever.  The  first  lieutenant  was 
made  of  the  same  kind  of  stuff  as  his  com- 
mander, and  continued  the  work  the  other  had 
begun.  The  men  formed  again,  and  were  about 
to  advance  when  another  shell  fell  in  the  midst 
of  the  command,  and  scattered  them  again.     The 


A   BREAK    IN    THE    ENEMY'S    COLUMNS         107 

lieutenant  rallied  them,  and  spread  them  out  in 
sections  over  the  field,  so  that  the  shells  should 
not  be  so  destructive ;  but  no  more  of  these 
missiles  disturbed  the  force,  and  the  officer  led 
them  to  the  creek,  striking  it  at  a  considerable 
distance  from  the  location  of  the  riflemen,  which 
disturbed  their  aim  for  a  time. 

"  Now  play  into  the  ranks  of  the  main  body. 
Major  Batterson,"  said  the  colonel.  "  Our  men 
are  getting  a  good  rest  out  of  the  present  situa- 
tion ;  and  they  need  it,  for  they  fought  with  tre- 
mendous vigor  in  the  charge." 

'•'  That  they  did  !  "  replied  the  major,  as  he 
gave  his  orders  to  the  cannoneers.  "But  what 
is  coming  next.   Colonel  ?  " 

"I  don't  know  any  better  than  you  do.  Major; 
but  it  is  the  next  move  of  the  enemy,  and  when 
it  comes  I  shall  endeavor  to  meet  it.  Major 
Lyon  wished  to  pursue  the  companies  that  ran 
away;  but  I  ordered  him  not  to  do  so.  We  are 
strong  in  front  of  your  works  now,  and  we 
should  not  be  if  two  companies  were  sent  in 
pursuit  of  the  two  that  ran  away." 

"  Now,  what  can    that   company  do  with   the 


108  AT    THE    FRONT 

riflemen?"  asked  the  major,  as  lie  saw  the  troop- 
ers following  the  creek. 

"Nothing;  just  now  they  are  shielded  from 
the  fire  of  Ripley's  men  by  that  bend  of  the 
creek;  but  as  soon  as  they  reach  a  pomt  in  front 
of  them,  or  attempt  to  cross  the  stream,  not  a 
few  of  them  will  begin  their  last  sleep,"  replied 
the  colonel,  as  he  directed  his  glass  to  the  big 
black  walnut  which  had  so  far  been  the  salva- 
tion of  the  officer  to  whom  the  command  of  the 
regiment  had  fallen  ;  and  he  had  been  wise  to 
keep  himself  covered,  for  the  safety  of  the  com- 
mand depended  upon  him. 

"  Can  you  hit  that  tree.  Major  Batterson  ?  " 
asked  the  colonel,  pointing  it  out  to  the  com- 
mander of  the  batterj' ;  and  it  was  the  most 
prominent  object  on  the  field. 

"I  think  so." 

"Try  it." 

It  was  a  failure  the  first  time,  but  the  second 
attempt  was  more  fortunate,  and  the  tree  seemed 
to  be  hollow ;  for  with  his  glass  the  colonel  could 
see  the  shell  penetrate  the  tree,  and  then  explode, 
tearing  the  tree  into  a  hundred  pieces,  and  crush- 


A   BREAK   IN   THE   ENEMY's    COLUMNS         109 

ing  the  officer  under  the  weight  of  its  branches. 
Probably  he  was  not  killed;  but  he  must  have 
been  disabled,  for  he  was  seen  no  more  on  the 
field.  Judging  from  the  positions  he  had  occu- 
pied, he  was  the  lieutenant-colonel.  A  tremen- 
dous yell  followed  the  fall  of  the  tree.  Then 
a  young  man,  as  he  appeared  to  be  with  the  aid 
of  the  glass,  rode  to  the  front  of  the  two  columns ; 
and  from  the  movement  that  followed,  it  was 
evident  that  he  had  given  an  order  for  the  col- 
umns to  advance.  The  colonel  had  no  doubt 
that  he  was  the  major  to  whom  the  command 
had  fallen  by  the  catastrophe  to  the  lieutenant- 
colonel. 

He  placed  himself  at  the  head  of  the  column 
on  the  right,  and,  forcing  his  steed  to  a  gallop, 
rode  up  the  gentle  slope,  where  Life  and  Captain 
Richland  had  formed  to  receive  the  attack.  The 
first  division  of  the  command,  under  Colonel 
Gordon,  formed  for  the  onslaught  of  the  left 
wing  of  the  enemy.  By  this  time  the  riflemen 
had  their  hands  full;  for  the  company  in  front 
of  them  had  formed  in  single  line,  with  all  of 
six  feet  between  the  men,  and  were  using  their 


110  AT    THE   FKONT 

carbines  or  muskets,  firing  into  the  little  grove. 
Ripley  had  given  the  word  to  his  men  to  keep 
covered  by  the  trees,  which  were  large  enough 
to  give  them  abundant  shelter.  But  they  used 
their  rifles  all  the  time,  and  many  fell  before 
them. 


THE    FINAL   RESULT   OF    THE    BATTLE        111 


CHAPTER   VIII 

THE  FIXAL  RESULT  OF  THE  BATTLE 

The  battle  on  all  sides  had  assumed  a  new 
phase.  At  least  four  companies  of  the  enemy, 
after  the  hand-to-hand  fight  with  the  superior 
force  which  Colonel  Lyon  had  brought  to  bear 
upon  them,  and  the  steady  fire  of  the  riflemen, 
who  hardly  wasted  a  single  bullet,  had  fled  from 
the  field  when  human  endurance  had  gone  to 
its  extreme  tension,  and  there  were  not  more  than 
six  companies  of  the  regiment  left  in  the  field. 
The  ground  in  front  of  the  breastwork  was  now 
occupied  only  by  the  four  companies  of  Colonel 
Gordon  and  the  command  of  Captain  Halliburn  ; 
but  it  was  strewn  with  the  dead  and  wounded 
of  the  enemy.  The  Union  force  had  by  no  means 
escaped  unharmed ;  but  the  commander  of  the 
new  regiment  had  always  been  as  tender  of  his 
soldiers  as  he  was  of  his  children. 


112  AT    THE    FRONT 

He  liad  taken  possession  of  a  large  vacant 
house  near  the  l)reastwork,  and  the  wounded  had 
been  conveyed  to  it.  The  women  and  the  men 
of  the  town  had  assisted  in  this  work,  and  Dr. 
Farnwright  had  been  busy  since  the  action  began. 
So  far,  not  a  single  one  of  the  riflemen  had  been 
brought  under  his  care,  for  they  had  been  pro- 
tected by  the  trees  on  their  field  of  operations ; 
and  they  had  used  them  not  only  as  shields  for 
their  bodies,  Ijut  as  partial  rests  for  their  rifles. 
Many  of  the  enemy's  wounded  had  been  borne 
from  the  field,  but  there  were  many  more  left 
who  were  crawling  away  when  they  had  the 
strength  to  do  so;  and  when  the  pause  in  the 
conflict  came,  the  captains  had  ordered  their  men, 
when  they  had  rested  a  wliile  from  the  severe 
exertion  of  the  charge,  to  assist  them  to  safe 
places. 

The  conduct  of  Captain  Knox's  raw  troops  had 
been  all  that  could  have  been  expected  of  vete- 
rans. They  had  come  into  the  service  rather 
late  in  the  day,  for  they  had  been  attending  to 
their  farms  and  workshops,  where  the  State  needed 
them  as  well  as  in  the  field ;  and  they  were  citi- 


THE    FINAL    RESULT    OF    THE    BATTLE        113 

zens  of  more  character  than  a  large  portion  of  the 
recruits.  As  the  advance  of  the  season  released 
them  to  some  extent  from  their  ordinary  occupa- 
tions, they  had  promptly  enlisted  when  it  was 
known  that  the  Confederacy  was  making  a  tre- 
mendous effort  to  obtain  possession  of  the  State, 
even  to  the  Ohio  River,  which  Avould  open  the 
rich  regions  of  ths  north  to  them. 

They  were  stalwart  men,  who  went  into  the 
army  from  principle,  and  not  for  mere  adventure, 
as  many  did;  and  their  whole  souls  were  in  the 
work  before  them.  Life  Knox  knew  where  to 
find  them ;  and  as  he  was  a  very  popular  man  at 
home,  they  had  flocked  to  his  standard  as  soon 
as  he  had  raised  it.  The  great  majority  were  of 
the  genuine  Kentucky  type.  They  were  physi- 
cally tall  and  powerful  men.  The  sabre,  in  the 
use  of  which  Life  had  given  the  most  of  his  time 
in  drilling  them,  was  a  mere  plaything  in  their 
hands  ;  and  they  used  it  with  tremendous  effect  in 
their  initial  conflict.  They  rode  over  and  hewed 
down  the  enemy  with  a  vigor  and  dash  that  had 
literally  driven  their  foe  from  the  field. 

The  major  of  the  enemy's  regiment,  as  it  was 


114  AT    THE    FRONT 

afterwards  ascertained  that  he  was,  could  not 
have  been  older  than  Deck  Lyon,  and  had  a  much 
more  youthful  appearance ;  for  both  the  sons  of 
the  colonel  were  full-grown  men  in  stature.  But 
the  Confederate  major  was  a  brave  and  daring 
fellow;  in  fact,  he  was  very  much  such  a  young 
man  as  the  major  of  the  new  regiment.  If  he 
could  have  been  schooled  to  the  use  of  a  little 
more  caution  in  his  movements,  he  would  have 
been  a  model  soldier;  for  it  is  as  much  the  duty 
of  an  officer  to  save  his  own  life  as  it  is  to  take 
that  of  the  enemy.  The  young  major  acted  as 
though  he  had  been  disgusted  with  the  leadership 
of  his  superior  officers,  and  was  determined  that 
he  would  redeem  the  errors  of  the  past ;  but  he 
was  more  likely  to  sacrifice  his  own  life  than  to 
accomplish  his  evident  purpose. 

But  he  was  in  less  peril  than  his  predecessors 
had  been.  Perhaps  half  the  enemy  who  had 
fallen,  if  not  more  than  that  proportion,  had  gone 
down  before  the  deadly  rifle-balls  of  the  sharp- 
shooters ;  for  they  had  been  able  to  pick  the 
doomed  without  being  exposed  to  danger  them- 
selves.    They  could  be  thrown  into  no  flurr}',  nor 


THE   FINAL    RESULT    OF    THE    BATTLE        115 

have  their  nerves  shaken  by  the  onslaught  of  a 
charging  force ;  there  was  nothing  to  impair  their 
aim,  and  when  they  fired  they  were  reasonably 
sure  of  their  aim.  The  fearful  effects  of  their  op- 
erations were  now  neutralized  by  the  company  of 
troopers  which  had  been  sent  to  diive  them  from 
their  position  if  possible,  and  the  riflemen  had  all 
they  could  attend  to  in  facing  the  enemy  in  front 
of  them.  The  young  major  was  therefore  in  no 
peril  from  the  silent  force  which  had  done  so 
much  in  driving  the  four  companies  of  cavalry 
from  the  field  before  the  breastwork. 

There  were  still  two  columns  of  the  enemy. 
The  major  had  placed  himself  between  the  heads 
of  these  divisions,  but  ahead  of  both  of  them ;  and 
with  his  sword  in  the  air,  so  that  he  would  have 
made  a  dramatic  picture  for  the  artist,  he  led 
the  way  up  the  slope  of  the  hill.  If  Ripley 
or  Butters  had  not  been  fully  occupied  he  would 
have  fallen  from  his  horse  before  he  had  gone 
half-way  up  the  declivity.  In  a  loud  voice,  as 
he  pointed  with  his  sword  in  the  direction  of 
the  battery,  he  spoke  inspiring  words  to  his  com- 
mand ;  and  his  men  responded  with  the  Confed- 


116  AT    THE   FRONT 

erate  yell,  which  echoed  across  the  field  with  a 
clearness  that  might  have  paralyzed  the  arms  of 
a  more  timid  force  than  that  in  front  of  the 
breastwork. 

Colonel  Lyon  had  sent  a  messenger  with  a  note 
from  his  block  to  Colonel  Gordon  and  Major 
Lyon,  ordering  them  to  advance  their  commands 
at  full  gallop  down  the  slope,  and  meet  the  en- 
emy as  they  approached.  The  subordinate  officers 
hardly  needed  such  an  order,  for  they  had  formed 
their  commands  for  just  this  movement. 

The  horses  were  fresh,  and  the  men  well  rested 
after  the  retreat  of  the  force  they  had  engaged 
before.  Major  Batterson  had  not  been  asleep ; 
and  as  the  young  major  began  his  advance,  two 
of  his  guns  sent  shells  into  the  head  of  the  mov- 
ing columns.  If  the  shells  were  less  destructive 
to  life  than  canister,  they  were  more  terrific  when 
they  burst  in  the  ranks  of  the  enemy,  and  they 
produced  a  decided  effect;  but  the  young  major 
and  other  officers  rallied  their  men,  and  the  col- 
umns moved  again  after  the  shock.  But  they 
had  not  advanced  more  than  a  hundred  feet  be- 
fore two  more  shells  burst  in  the  midst  of  them. 


THE    FINAL   RESULT    OF   THE    BATTLE        117 

The  instinct  of  self-preservation  was  enough  to 
produce  a  momentary  panic,  though  the  Confed- 
erate troopers  manifested  no  inclination  to  flee 
from  the  field. 

The  last  two  shots  from  the  guns  were  the 
signal  for  the  advance  of  the  lieutenant-colonel 
and  the  major ;  and,  not  to  be  shamed  by  the 
impetuous  Confederate  major,  they  followed  his 
example,  and  rode  at  the  head  of  their  divis- 
ions. Suddenly  the  young  officer  called  for  a 
halt,  which  was  apparently  expected  l)y  the  men ; 
and  they  fired  a  volley  from  their  muskets,  before 
which  about  a  dozen  men  and  half  as  many  horses 
were  either  killed  or  wounded.  But  the  Riv- 
erlawns  did  not  slacken  their  furious  gait.  The 
major  ordered  his  men  to  sling  their  muskets,  and 
draw  their  sabres.  The  Union  columns  dashed 
down  the  'slope,  and  the  shock  was  terrible.  The 
tall  Kentuckians  in  Deck's  columns  appeared  to 
ride  over  the  enemy,  using  their  sabres  with 
deadly  effect.  It  was  another  hand-to-hand  con- 
flict ;  and  the  veterans  of  the  first  and  second  com- 
panies fought  like  tigers,  urged  on  by  Colonel 
Gordon.     The  young  major  was  full  of  vim  and 


118  AT    THE    FRONT 

vigor,  and  he  rallied  his  troopers  as  they  shook 
before  the  assault.  His  men  did  their  best  to 
meet  his  ardent  wishes,  as  he  rode  ahead  of  his 
line,  yelling  the  most  impassioned  commands  to 
his  troops.  But  he  advanced  too  far  for  his  own 
good.  He  was  directly  in  front  of  Major  Lyon, 
who  considered  that  the  emergency  had  come 
which  required  him  to  do  something  more  than 
rally  his  men,  though  they  hardly  needed  any 
stimulus. 

He  touched  the  flanks  of  Cepli  with  his  dummy 
spurs,  with  a  pull  at  his  reins ;  and  the  intelligent 
animal  dashed  forward  down  the  slope,  and  made 
a  flying  leap  upon  the  major,  after  the  manner 
in  which  he  had  done  the  same  thing  before. 
Deck  made  an  expert  thrust  with  his  sabre,  and 
man  and  horse  went  down  together,  the  young 
major  underneath.  The  assailant  wheeled  his 
steed,  and  fell  back  just  as  Life  rushed  forAvard 
to  assist  him.  But  he  needed  no  assistance.  He 
saw  that  the  Confederate  major  lay  upon  the 
ground,  and  did  not  attempt  to  rise. 

The  company  of  Captain  Knox  had  taken  the 
enemy  on  their  right  flank,  while  Captain  Rich- 


THE    FINAL    RESULT    OF    THE    BATTLE        119 

land  had  attacked  on  the  left,  and  Colonel  Gor- 
don made  the  same  disjDOsition  in  the  charge 
upon  the  right  column  of  the  regiment.  Captain 
Halliburn's  Home  Guards  had  struck  the  head  of 
the  left  column.  The  fierceness  of  the  conflict 
made  it  of  short  duration  ;  and  after  the  fall  of 
the  Confederate  major  the  enemy  began  to  fall 
back,  though  the  senior  captain,  as  he  was  suj)- 
posed  to  be,  rallied  the  force.  He  brought  up 
the  two  companies  in  the  rear  which  had  not  yet 
been  engaged,  with  orders  to  attack  the  Union 
companies  in  the  rear.  This  re-enforcement  of 
fresh  men  seemed  to  turn  the  tide  of  battle ; 
and  Colonel  Gordon  saw  that  his  veterans,  as- 
sailed in  the  front  and  rear,  were  giving  way. 
He  dashed  into  the  thickest  of  the  fight,  and 
rallied  his  men.  He  turned  one  company  to  the 
front  and  the  other  to  the  rear,  leading  the  latter 
himself. 

Captain  Truman's  company  seemed  to  be  in- 
spired by  his  presence ;  and  it  made  such  a  tre- 
mendous onslaught  upon  the  fresh  company,  that 
they  broke  before  it,  and  fell  back.  The  colonel 
observed  the   various  phases   of  the   battle   from 


120  AT   THE   FRONT 

his  position  on  the  elevation,  and  he  readily  per- 
ceived the  confusion  among  his  own  men.  So 
did  JNlajor  Batterson ;  and  he  had  a  hundred 
mounted  men  who  were  not  engaged.  Leaving 
cannoneers  enough  to  care  for  the  guns,  he  sal- 
lied out  from  the  breastwork,  and  the  colonel 
ordered  him  to  the  assistance  of  Colonel  Gordon. 
The  artillerymen  were  veterans ;  and  led  by  their 
major,  they  fell  upon  the  re-enforcement  from  the 
rear  with  such  energy  that  it  broke  at  once ;  for 
then  they  were  attacked  in  front  and  rear. 

Major  Lyon's  force  was  hard  pressed,  and  he 
had  fought  like  a  tiger  himself.  The  stalwart 
company  of  Cajjtain  Knox  appeared  to  know 
nothing  of  fatigue,  and  they  seemed  to  be  as 
fresh  as  when  they  came  into  action.  Deck  di- 
rected this  company  against  the  fresh  men  who 
had  for  a  time  turned  the  action  in  favor  of  the 
enemy,  and  they  soon  ploughed  their  way  through 
the  re-enforcement,  and  drove  them  to  the  rear. 
The  two  companies  from  the  rear  which  had 
changed  the  face  of  the  action  had  been  driven 
out ;  and  it  was  evident  to  Colonel  Lyon  that 
the  crisis  had  passed,  and  that  victory  was  near. 


THE    FINAL    llESULT    OF    THE   BATTLE        121 

Colonel  Gordon  and  Major  Lyon  closely  followed 
up  the  advantage  gained;  both  of  them  fought 
with  their  own  hands,  and  with  their  presence 
inspired  the  men  under  their  command. 

The  break  in  the  ranks  of  the  enemy  came  in 
front  of  Captain  Knox's  company,  where  it  must 
have  seemed  to  the  Confederates  as  though  the 
fiends  from  the  lower  regions  had  broken  loose 
upon  them.  They  fled  across  the  field  in  the 
direction  taken  by  the  two  companies  which  had 
first  fled  from  the  fiery  ordeal.  The  other  por- 
tions of  the  regiment,  having  no  oflicers  to  direct 
them,  attempted  to  escape  in  various  directions. 
With  the  men  of  the  battery,  Colonel  Gordon 
directed  the  captains  to  pursue  the  fleeing  en- 
emy, and  they  were  soon  scattered  all  over  the 
field.  The  victory  was  achieved,  but  the  final 
results  had  not  yet  been  summed  up. 

Some  time  before  the  hottest  part  of  the  en- 
gagement had  been  reached,  Lieutenant  Ripley 
had  been  confronted  by  a  company  of  cavaliy  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  creek,  which  had  been  sent 
by  the  young  major  to  drive  the  riflemen  from 
the  position  where  they  had  done  so  much  injury 


122  AT  THE  FRONT 

to  the  head  of  the  leading  portions  of  the  regi- 
ment. This  force  advanced,  using  their  muskets, 
firing  into  the  grove  at  random ;  for  the  sharp- 
shooters were  hidden  behind  the  trees,  and  so  far 
not  one  of  them  had  been  killed  or  wounded. 
The  company  came  along  the  bank  of  the  creek, 
which  was  wider  than  below  the  bridge. 

As  the  enemy  approached  the  position,  not  a 
few  of  them  dropped  from  their  saddles ;  and  they 
halted  directly  opposite  that  part  of  the  grove 
where  most  of  the  riflemen  were  concealed.  In 
accordance  with  his  tactics,  Ripley  had  divided 
his  force  into  four  sections,  and  the  enemy  into 
the  same  number,  so  that  the  rifle-balls  should 
not  be  too  much  scattered.  Formerly  his  men 
■\^•ere  numbered,  and  each  one  had  his  particular 
mark;  but  it  was  not  practicable  to  do  so  on 
this  occasion.  The  captain  of  the  enemy  soon 
realized  that  he  was  making  no  headway  when 
he  saw  his  men  falling  from  their  horses,  while 
they  were  unable  to  accomplish  anything  to  injure 
the  riflemen  behind  the  trees.  He  was  sacrificing 
his  men  while  they  stood  inactive  on  the  bank  of 
the  creek ;    and  suddenly,  in   evident  disgust  at 


THE    FINAL   RESULT    OF    THE    BATTLE        123 

the  situation,  he  ordered  his  men  to  ford  the 
stream.  This  only  made  it  the  Avorse  for  him. 
The  cavalrymen  were  shot  down  as  their  horses 
waded  the  shallow  stream. 

At  this  point  the  enemy  had  broken  on  the  field, 
and  were  retreating,  closely  followed  by  the  pur- 
suing Union  soldiers.  Major  Batterson  had  been 
ordered  by  Colonel  Gordon  to  return  to  the  breast- 
work, and  to  charge  upon  the  company  at  the 
creek  on  his  way.  He  did  not  assail  this  force, 
but  formed  a  line  around  them,  ready  to  do  so. 
Of  course  the  riflemen  were  compelled  to  cease 
their  destructive  fire. 

"  Do  you  surrender?  "  shouted  the  major. 

The  captain  could  not  help  hearing  this  ques- 
tion, but  he  seemed  to  be  bewildered.  The  rifle- 
men were  on  his  front,  and  the  artillerymen  on 
his  rear.  As  no  reply  came  in  answer  to  the  de- 
mand, it  was  repeated,  with  no  different  result. 
The  major  waved  his  sabre  in  the  direction  of  the 
grove,  and  then  ordered  his  men  to  fall  back 
where  the  bullets  of  the  riflemen  could  not  reach 
them.  Ripley  understood  the  movement,  and 
again  opened  fire  upon  the  enemy.     The  captain. 


124  AT   THE   FPvONT 

seeing  his  men  fall  from  their  saddles  again,  re- 
treated towards  the  field.  The  major's  men  then 
dashed  towards  them,  and  then  the  captain  made 
a  signal  that  he  was  ready  to  surrender. 


THE    WO-UNDED    CONFEDEEATE    MAJOK  125 


CHAPTER   IX 

THE    WOUNDED   CONFEDERATE   MAJOR 

Colonel  Lyon  had  seated  himself  on  the  top 
of  the  breastwork  after  sending  Major  Batterson 
and  most  of  his  company  to  re-enforce  Colonel 
Gordon's  command.  The  result  in  that  quarter, 
as  in  every  other,  had  been  abundantly  satisfac- 
tory to  him,  for  he  had  defeated  nearly  double 
his  own  number.  While  the  major  was  receiving 
the  surrender  of  the  company  which  had  been 
sent  to  clean  out  the  sharpshooters,  Lieutenant 
Ripley,  finding  that  his  occupation  in  the  grove 
was  gone,  had  formed  his  men,  and  marched  them 
over  the  bridge,  where  they  mounted  their  horses, 
and  joined  the  major. 

"  The  work  appears  to  be  all  done,"  said  Ripley, 
saluting  the  commander  of  the  batteiy. 

"  It  is  all  done,  and  well  done ;  and  you  have 
done  your  full  share  of  it,  Lieutenant  Ripley," 
replied  Major  Batterson. 


126  AT    THE   FRONT 

"  I  always  intend  to  obey  my  orders,  and  I 
tried  to  do  so  this  time,"  answered  the  rifleman. 

"  I  was  watching  the  field  very  closely  from  the 
first  of  it,  and  I  could  see  the  men  in  the  ranks 
of  the  enemy  tumbling  from  their  horses  when 
their  officers  could  not  tell  what  brought  them 
down ;  and  I  could  not  tell  myself  till  I  had  a 
chance  to  study  the  matter,"  continued  the  major. 
"  I  could  not  see  any  of  your  men,  and  I  suppose 
the  enemy  could  not;  but  their  men  kept  dro]3- 
ping  all  the  same.  I  could  not  understand  the 
situation  at  all  till  Colonel  Lyon  told  me  that  a 
company  of  riflemen  was  posted  in  that  grove." 

"  But  the  enemy  found  out  that  we  were  there, 
and  the  little  major  sent  one  of  his  companies  to 
clean  us  out,"  added  Lieutenant  Ripley.  "  But 
they  could  not  do  anything  as  long  as  the  creek 
was  between  us.  When  the  enemy  tried  to  ford' 
it,  the  current  carried  a  good  many  dead  cavalry- 
men down  the  stream  to  Green  River,  and  they 
gave  it  up  after  trying  it  three  times.  They  could 
not  have  done  any  better  if  they  had  got  across 
the  river,  for  they  could  not  do  anything  in  the 
grove  on  their  horses." 


THE    WOUNDED    CONFEDERATE    MAJOR  127 

"  I  think  we  must  march  the  prisoners  up  to  the 
breastwork,  and  report  to  the  colonel,"  said  the 
major.  "  I  will  lead  the  way,  if  you  will  bring  up 
the  rear,  where  you  can  di'op  any  of  them  that  try 
to  run  away." 

The  force  was  formed,  and  the  body  moved  up 
the  elevation.  The  first  and  second  companies, 
under  Colonel  Gordon,  had  pursued  the  broken 
column  of  the  enemy  to  the  north-west,  which  was 
the  direction  taken  by  the  first  company  that  fled 
from  the  field ;  and  the  third  and  seventh  compa- 
nies had  pursued  those  that  attempted  to  escape 
in  the  direction  by  which  the  force  had  advanced 
under  Major  Lyon.  By  this  time  they  were  all 
of  three  miles  distant  from  the  hill. 

The  prisoners  were  all  marched  to  the  breast- 
work, and  then  to  the  rear.  The  seventh  com- 
pany had  surrounded  and  captured  what  was  left 
of  one  compan}^,  and  Captain  Halliburn  was  sent 
to  headquarters  with  them.  All  the  prisoners 
liad  been  disarmed  on  the  field,  and  the  arms  left 
where  they  had  been  surrendered.  Colonel  Lyon 
ordered  the  horses  to  be  picketed,  and  the  men  to 
be   corralled  in  the  rear  of   the    works,  and  the 


128  AT   THE    FllONT 

Home  Guard  had  been  placed  as  sentinels  over 
them.  A  couple  of  baggage -wagons  were  sent 
to  pick  up  the  arms  on  the  field.  Life  Knox  was 
soon  discovered  in  the  advance  of  a  considerable 
body,  which  proved  to  consist  of  the  force  under 
Major  Lyon,  with  two  companies  captured  from 
the  enemy. 

Half  an  hour  later  the  first  and  second  com- 
panies appeared  with  about  a  hundred  and  fifty 
prisoners ;  for  the  lieutenant  had  found  the  coun- 
try less  favorable  to  the  pui-suit  in  the  direction 
he  had  gone  than  that  by  which  the  enemy  had 
advanced.  Nearly  one-half  of  the  regiment  had 
been  taken,  and  the  rest  of  it  had  made  good 
their  retreat  in  a  demoralized  condition.  The 
prisoners  and  the  horses  had  been  disposed  of 
with  the  first  lots  brought  in.  Two  more  wagons 
had  been  sent  to  pick  up  the  arms  on  the  field. 
As  before  stated,  the  colonel  had  established  a 
hospitiil  in  one  of  the  houses  nearest  to  the  fields. 
Dr.  Farnwright  and  his  assistant  were  hard  at 
work  in  them,  aided  by  two  doctors  from  Columbia 
who  had  volunteered  their  services  ;  and  the  grate- 
ful inhabitants  had  come  to    their  assistance,  in- 


THE    WOUNDED    CONFEDERATE    MAJOR  129 

eluding  a  considerable  number  of  women,  and 
the  Union  wounded  were  well  cared  for. 

The  two  surgeons  of  the  defeated  regiment  had 
set  up  a  hospital  in  a  tobacco-shed  on  the  creek, 
and  they  attended  to  their  duty  after  the  com- 
panies had  fled  from  the  field.  Colonel  Lyon 
desired  to  be  satisfied  that  the  wounded  on  both 
sides  had  all  the  attention  that  could  be  given  to 
them.  When  the  prisoners  had  been  disposed  of, 
he  visited  the  hospitals,,  and  the  volunteer  sur- 
geons were  introduced  to  him. 

"  The  enemy  have  suffered  a  far  greater  loss 
than  the  Union  force,"  said  he  to  Dr.  Watson, 
one  of  the  Columbia  doctors.  "  I  fear  there  is 
a  lack  of  surgeons  in  the  Confederate  hospital  by 
the  creek." 

"Do  you  look  out  for  both  sides,  Colonel 
Lyon  ?  "  asked  the  surgeon  with  a  smile. 

"  I  have  done  the  best  I  could  to  kill  and 
wound  the  enemy ;  but  the  United  States  gov- 
ernment does  not  make  war  upon  wounded  men 
on  their  backs,"  replied  the  colonel.  "  If  I  had 
more  medical  officers  than  we  needed,  I  would 
send  some  of  them  to  the  assistance  of  the  enemy. 


130  AT   THE   FRONT 

The  battle  has  been  fought  and  the  victory  won; 
humanity  has  the  field  till  we  are  attacked  again." 

"I  honor  you,  Colonel,  for  your  liberal  and 
humane  views,"  added  Dr.  Watson;  ''and  I  have 
a  suggestion  to  make.  There  are  two  doctors 
in  Columbia  who  have  been  Secessionists  from 
the  beginning,  one  of  them  the  best  surgeon  in 
the  county.  With  your  permission,  I  will  send 
a  message  to  each  of  them,  informing  them  that 
they  are  needed  in  the  Confederate  hospital," 
said  the  surgeon. 

"  I  hope  you  will  do  so,"  replied  the  colonel. 
"  Let  them  report  to  me,  and  I  will  see  that  they 
are  conducted  to  the  creek." 

Dr.  Watson  sent  the  messengers  at  once ;  and 
in  half  an  hour  the  two  surgeons  reported  to  the 
colonel,  who  lent  them  horses,  and  sent  two 
troopers  to  accompany  them  to  the  hospital. 
They  were  warmly  welcomed  by  the  doctor  in 
charge,  for  their  assistance  was  greatly  needed. 
The  two  troopers  started  on  their  return  to  the 
hill  with  the  led  horses  the  surgeons  had  ridden  ; 
but  they  had  gone  but  a  short  distance  before 
they  were  confronted  by  Major  Lyon. 


THE    WOUNDED    CONFEDERATE    MAJOR         131 

"  What  are  you  doing  over  here  ?  "  demanded 
he,  as  the  men  saluted  him. 

One  of  the  cavalrymen  explained  the  mission 
on  which  they  had  come  to  the  creek  by  order 
of  Colonel  Lyon, 

"  Have  you  finished  your  business  over  here  ?  " 
asked  Deck. 

"We  have,  Major.  We  have  only  to  take  the 
two  horses  over  to  the  camp,"  answered  the 
spokesman  of  the  men. 

"  Then,  follow  me,"  added  the  major. 

He  led  the  way  to  the  spot  where  he  and  Ceph 
had  overturned  the  young  major  in  the  charge 
of  his  division  upon  the  enemy.  On  his  return 
from  the  pursuit  of  the  enemy  he  had  passed 
near  the  place  where  the  gallant  young  officer 
had  fallen,  and  saw  that  he  was  still  alive.  He 
had  a  sabre  wound  on  his  head.  Sending  the 
two  companies  forward  with  the  prisoners,  he 
had  dismounted,  and  examined  the  wounded  offi- 
cer. The  cut  did  not  look  like  a  very  bad  one  ; 
he  saw  from  its  shape  that  his  sabre  had  turned 
in  his  hand  in  the  excitement  of  the  moment, 
and  that  it  was  the  force  of  the  blow,  rather  than 


132  AT    THE    FEONT 

the  effect  of  tne  edge  of  the  weajDon,  which  had 
disabled  the  sufferer.  He  had  been  stunned  as 
though  he  had  been  struck  with  a  club  instead 
of  a  weapon  with  a  sharp  edge. 

"How  do  you  feel  now,  Major?"  asked  Deck, 
as  he  dismounted,  wliile  the  two  soldiers  looked 
at  hira  with  no  little  surprise. 

"  My  head  is  rather  shaky,"  replied  the  wounded 
man ;  "  but  I  think  I  shall  be  all  right  in  a  little 
while." 

"  Is  your  wound  painful  ?  " 

"  Not  very  ;  but  my  head  feels  sore.  Are  you 
a  surgeon?  " 

"  I  am  not ;  but  I  may  be  able  to  do  something 
for  you,"  answered  Deck,  as  he  took  from  his 
pocket  the  little  package  of  lint,  linen,  sticking- 
plaster,  and  other  remedies  his  mother  had  pre- 
pared for  him  the  last  time  he  was  at  home.  He 
looked  over  the  wound  more  carefully  than  before. 
A  portion  of  the  skin  over  his  right  ear  had  been 
turned  over  by  the  slipping  of  the  sabre. 

"  I  have  some  skill  in  this  sort  of  Avork ;  and, 
if  you  don't  object,  I  will  dress  your  wound," 
continued  Major  Lyon. 


THE   WOUNDED   CONFEDERATE   MAJOR         133 

«I  do  not  object;  on  the  contrary,  I  shall 
thank  you  with  all  my  heart,"  replied  the  Con- 
federate officer. 

"Will  you  give  me  your  name,  Major,  if  you 
please  ?  for  I  shall  be  glad  to  know  you  better," 
asked  Deck,  as  he  took  a  pair  of  scissors  from 
his  package. 

"  Richard  Monroe ;  and  I  was  the  major  of  the 
cavalry  regiment  which  has  fared  so  badly  on  this 
field,"  replied  the  wounded  officer  in  a  strong 
voice,  which  assured  Deck  that  he  was  not  very 
weak.  "  You  wear  the  uniform  of  the  Union  army, 
I  see  now." 

"I  do;  and  I  am  the  major  of  the  regiment 
which  defeated  yours  on  this  field,  —  Major  Dex- 
ter Lyon,  at  your  service.  But  now  I  will  dress 
your  wound  if  you  please." 

"  Thank  you ;  and  you  are  very  kind  to  do  so 
much  for  your  enemy,"  added  Major  Monroe. 

"We  are  not  enemies  except  on  the  field  of 
battle,"  said  Deck,  as  he  proceeded  to  cut  away 
the  hair  about  the  wound. 

Then  he  washed  the  wound  with  a  soothing 
lotion    from   his    package.     He    turned    the    skin 


134  AT   THE   FRONT 

back,  carefully  placing  it,  with  the  hope  that  it 
would  heal  as  he  adjusted  it,  and  then  covered 
it  with  sticking-plaster  to  keep  it  in  place.  He 
folded  his  clean  handkerchief,  and  bound  it  around 
the  major's  head. 

"  I  feel  like  a  new  man  now,"  said  the  wounded 
major. 

"•  I  am  glad  to  hear  it ;  and  now  I  will  conduct 
you  to  the  Confederate  hospital  by  the  creek," 
continued  Deck.  "If  I  have  not  dressed  the 
wound  properly,  your  own  surgeon  can  do  it 
better." 

"  Colonel  Lyon  sent  two  doctors  over  to  that 
hospital,  and  they  were  both  Secesh,"  said  one 
of  the  two  soldiers.  ''I  reckon  they  have  good 
doctors  over  there." 

"  I  don't  think  I  have  any  need  to  go  to  a  hos- 
pital. Major  Lyon." 

"  What  will  you  do  ?  Your  regiment  has  been 
driven  off  the  field,  and  something  like  one-half 
of  your  men  are  prisoners,"  suggested  the  Union 
major. 

"  It  has  been  an  unfortunate  day  for  our  regi- 
ment.    Your  batter}'  behind  the  breastwork,  and 


THE    WOUNDED    CONFEDERATE   MAJOR         135 

the  riflemen,  were  too  much  for  us.  You  seem 
to  be  alone,  Major  Lyon ;  where  are  you  going  ?  " 

"  Back  to  my  regiment,  behind  the  breastwork, 
where  I  suppose  our  men  are  guarding  the  pris- 
oners," repKed  Deck.  "  I  supposed  you  would  go 
to  the  hospital." 

"  The  surgeons  there  have  enough  to  do ;  and  I 
will  not  bother  them,  for  I  don't  need  them.  I 
will  go  with  you,"  said  the  wounded  man,  who 
had  evidently  come  to  a  conclusion. 

"  Go  with  me !  "  exclaimed  Deck. 

"  You  have  been  very  kind  to  me,  though  I 
think  I  should  soon  have  been  able  to  find  my 
way  to  the  hospital." 

"  But  you  can  go  with  me  only  as  a  prisoner." 

"  Very  well,  Major  Lyon ;  as  a  prisoner  it  is. 
It  appears  now  that  I  should  have  been  captured 
if  I  had  not  been  knocked  from  my  horse,  and  I 
shall  be  no  worse  off  now." 

"  You  are  a  soldier,  and  you  can  readily  per- 
ceive that  I  can  do  nothing  for  you  in  our  camp," 
added  Deck. 

"  It  is  the  fortune  of  war,  and  I  make  no  com- 
plaint." 


136  AT    THE    FrwONT 

"  I  am  sorry  that  I  cannot  leave  you  to  find 
the  remains  of  your  regiment,  for  I  should  be  glad 
to  do  anything  for  you  within  the  line  of  my  duty." 

"  I  understand  the  matter  perfectly.  You  have 
done  all  that  one  friend  could  do  for  another. 
I  find  no  fault,  and  I  ask  no  favors.  Put  me 
with  the  rest  of  our  fellows.  ]\Iy  head  is  still  a 
little  shaky,  and  I  need  only  rest  and  quiet.  I 
am  ready  to  go  with  you,"  replied  the  prisoner, 
as  he  regarded  himself. 

He  rose  from  the  ground  v/here  he  had  been 
lying  all  the  time ;  but  he  was  unsteady  in  his 
movement,  owing  to  his  dizziness,  and  Deck  sup- 
ported him.  One  of  the  led  horses  was  brought 
up,  and  the  major  assisted  him  to  mount.  They 
moved  very  slowly  up  the  declivity.  The  wounded 
officer  had  lost  his  sabre,  and  he  handed  two  re- 
volvers to  Deck,  who  took  them  as  a  matter  of 
duty. 

"I  don't  understand  how  I  happened  to  fall, 
for  I  am  only  slightly  wounded,"  said  Major 
Monroe.  "It  seemed  to  me  just  as  though  a 
thunderbolt  had  struck  me  on  the  head;  and 
that  is  all  I  know  about  it." 


He  rose  from  the  Ground 


Page  136 


THE    WOUNDED    CONFEDERATE    MAJOR         137 

"I  know  more  than  that,"  added  Deck.  "It 
was  I  who  gave  you  the  fall  you  had.  I  was 
filled  with  admiration  at  your  brave  conduct ;  but 
my  path  in  the  charge  led  me  to  you.  I  knew 
I  could  bring  you  down;  but  upon  my  honor  I 
hated  to  do  it,  or  rather  to  make  my  horse,  do 
it,  for  he  had  been  trained  to  do  just  what  he 
did  at  my  order." 

"  You  did  your  duty  like  a  soldier !  "  exclaimed 
Major  Monroe. 

"  I  feared  Ave  should  lose  the  fight  if  I  did  not 
do  it." 

Deck  explained  the  conduct  of  Ceph,  and  con- 
tinued to  express  his  regret  at  being  obliged  to 
deprive  the  regiment  of  its  major.  They  rode 
to  the  place  where  the  colonel  stood. 


138  AT  THE   FRONT 


CHAPTER  X 

PEEPAHmG   FOR   THE   INVASION 

Colonel  Lyon  was  quite  surprised  to  see  his 
son  ride  up  to  him  with  an  officer  in  Confederate 
uniform  with  his  head  tied  up  in  a  handkerchief. 
It  was  plain  that  he  had  been  wounded  in  the 
action ;  and  he  wondered  that  he  had  not  fled 
with  the  rest  of  his  regiment,  or  why  he  had 
not  been  sent  in  with  the  rest  of  the  prisoners. 

"  I  have  sent  for  you,  INIajor  Lj^on,  but  my 
messengers  could  not  find  you.  I  have  impor- 
tant news  from  Major  Bornwood  by  telegraph, 
and  I  have  wired  him  to  ascertain  what  I  should 
do  with  the  prisoners ;  for  we  have  not  less  than 
four  hundred  and  eighty,"  said  the  commander. 

"  Then,  this  one  will  make  four  hundred  and 
eighty-one.  Colonel  Lyon,  this  gentleman  is  Ma- 
jor Richard  Munroe,  the  brave  young  officer  who 
took  the  command  of  his  regiment  when  both 
of  his  superiors  had  fallen,"  replied  Deck.     "  It 


PREPARING   FOR   THE   INVASION  139 

was  when  Cepli  came  down  upon  him  that  the 
ensfae'ement  turned  in  our  favor." 

"  Major  Monroe,  I  am  happy  to  meet  you  per- 
sonally, though  I  am  sorry  for  your  misfortune; 
for  no  more  gallant  officer  ever  rode  upon  a  bat- 
tlefield," said  the  colonel,  taking  the  hand  of 
the  young -officer,  and  shaking  it  as  cordially  as 
though  he  had  been  a  Union  instead  of  a  Con- 
federate officer. 

"I  thank  you,  Colonel  Lyon,  for  your  kind 
words ;  and  I  might  differ  from  you  in  replying 
to  your  compliment,  and  point  to  Major  Lyon 
as  my  superior  in  every  respect,  for  I  saw  him 
on  the  field,  and  I  tried  to  be  as  gallant  as  he 
was.  He  bears  your  name,  and  perhaps  he  is  a 
relative." 

"  He  is  my  son." 

"  Then,  I  congratulate  you  upon  being  the 
father  of  such  a  son ;  not  only  because  he  is  a 
model  soldier,  but  because  he  is  as  humane  and 
noble  as  he  is  gallant.    He  dressed  my  wound  "  — 

"But  he  is  not  a  surgeon,"  interposed  the 
colonel. 

"I    beg   your   pardon,    but   he    is    a    surgeon. 


140  AT   THE   FRONT 

though  he  may  have  never  taken  a  degree.  He 
is  evidently  a  natural  surgeon,  and  has  had  some 
experience  with  the  wounded." 

"  What  you  say  is  quite  true ;  but  his  mother 
was  his  professor  in  surgery,  and  fitted  him  out 
with  the  means  to  do  a  kindness  to  a  brother  offi- 
cer, as  it  appears  that  he  has  done  to  you.  I  am 
very  sorry  that  you  are  a  prisoner,  jNlajor  Mon- 
roe." 

"It  is  the  fortune  of  war ;  and  having  fallen 
into  the  hands  of  men  as  noble  as  these  around 
me,  I  cheerfully  submit  to  my  fate,"  replied  the 
Confederate  major,  bowing  very  respectfull}^  and 
deferentially  to  the  colonel. 

At  this  moment  the  colonel's  orderly,  who  had 
been  sent  to  the  telegraph  office,  with  orders  to 
wait  for  a  reply,  dashed  furiously  into  the  jDres- 
ence  of  the  commander,  and  handed  him  a  mes- 
sage. Colonel  Lyon  was  not  a  little  embarrassed 
by  the  number  of  prisoners  on  his  hands,  and  he 
was  very  anxious  in  regard  to  the  reply  of  the 
representative  of  the  Department  commander. 
He  tore  open  the  envelope  in  haste,  and  read 
the  despatch.     Then  he  passed  it  to  Deck.     The 


PREPARING    FOR    THE    INVASION  141 

reply  was  simpl}',  "Parole  prisoners."  Then 
came  something  not  relating  to  the  same  subject. 
"  Raise  another  company  if  possible ;  suggest 
names  for  commissions.  Commissions  for  two 
more  majors  ready." 

The  last  part  of  the  message  was  not  intelli- 
gible to  Deck.  Commissions  for  officers  was 
plain,  for  it  was  supposed  to  relate  to  the  com- 
pany Colonel  Lyon  was  to  raise ;  but  he  could 
make  nothing  of  "  two  "more  majors  "  whose  com- 
missions were  ready.  Was  he  to  be  set  aside 
or  outranked?  He  believed  he  had  done  his 
duty  faithfully,  and  certainly  he  had  been  praised 
enough  for  his  conduct  on  the  field.  He  was  not 
willing  to  believe  that  he  was  to  be  displaced,  or 
that  his  rank  was  to  be  taken  from  him.  But  he 
decided  not  to  bother  his  head  about  the  matter. 
Whatever  Major  Bornwood  and  his  father  were 
doing  —  and  the  latter  had  said  that  he  had  im- 
portant news  from  the  former  —  would  come  out 
in  due  time,  and  he   would  not  worry  about  it. 

"  We  will  talk  this  matter  over  another  time, 
Dexter.  If  your  Confederate  friend  is  wounded, 
he  needs  some  attention,"  said  the  colonel.     "A 


142  AT    THE    FRONT 

house  has  been  assigned  to  me  by  the  town  coun- 
cil for  the  use  of  the  field-ofificers,  and  there  is 
plenty  of  room  in  it  for  your  prisoner.  Banks !  " 
he  called  to  his  orderly. 

"Here,  sir,"  replied  the  sergeant. 

"Conduct  Major  Lyon  to  the  new  headquar- 
ters," added  the  commander. 

"Now,  Major  Monroe,"  said  Deck,  "we  will 
go  to  a  more  comfortable  place  than  this  field." 

"  Thank  you,  Major  Lyon." 

In  a  few  minutes,  as  all  three  of  them  were 
mounted,  they  reached  the  house  which  Colonel 
Lyon  had  mentioned.  It  was  a  large  mansion, 
very  handsomely  furnished,  and  seemed  to  be 
abundantly  supplied  with  servants,  both  male  and 
female.  They  entered,  and  were  very  politely  re- 
ceived by  a  good-looking  mulatto,  who  appeared 
to  be  the  steward  of  the  mansion. 

Deck  gave  his  name,  and  the  man  showed  them 
to  what  he  called  "  Major  Lyon's  apartment ;  " 
and  it  was  even  better  than  the  one  he  occupied 
at  home. 

"  But  I  desire  an  apartment  for  this  gentle- 
man," said  Deck. 


PKEPAKING   FOR    THE   INVASION  143 

■  "  Here  is  one  next  to  yours,  Mars'r  Major," 
replied  Steward,  —  for  that  was  his  name  as  well 
as  his  occupation,  —  as  he  opened  a  door. 

"  You  intend  to  lodge  me  like  a  major-general," 
said  the  guest,  as  he  entered  the  room.  "I  should 
have  been  quite  content  with  more  humble  quar- 
tei-s." 

"  I  should  give  you  my  room  if  this  one  were 
not  just  as  good,"  replied  Deck.  "If  you  want 
anything,  you  have  only  to  call  for  it.  Steward, 
you  will  see  that  this  gentleman  is  as  well  cared 
for  as  the  colonel  himself." 

"I  will,  Mars'r  Major,"  answered  the  steward 
as  Deck  left  the  room,  satisfied  that  he  had  treated 
his  guest  with  proper  hospitality. 

As  he  returned  to  his  own  room,  he  found  a 
mulatto  girl  there,  who  evidently  had  a  message 
for  him. 

"Mars'r  Colonel  want  to  see  Major  Lyon  in 
the  office  down-stairs,"  said  she,  after  a  courtesy 
which  would  have  answered  very  well  in  a  ball- 
room as  one  of  the  Lancer  figures. 

"  Tell  him  I  will  be  with  him  in  two  minutes," 
said  Deck,  as  he  went  to  the  looking-glass  to  ad- 


144  AT    THE    FRONT 

just  his  hair  and  mustache,  especially  the  latter,, 
which  he  thought  was  a  very  fine  labial  ornament 
to  his  face ;  and  the  girl  plainly  believed  that  it 
was  a  very  handsome  face,  for  she  made  another 
very  elaborate  courtesy  to  him  as  she  left  the 
apartment. 

The  major  delayed  but  a  minute  or  two  to  ar- 
range his  toilet  while  his  father  was  waiting  for 
him.  He  found  the  girl  in  the  hall,  waiting  to 
show  him  what  she  called  the  office. 

It  was  the  large  front  room  on  the  first  floor, 
where  he  found  his  father  seated  at  a  desk,  with 
Colonel  Gordon  at  his  side.  The  latter  rose  from 
his  chair,  and  gave  his  hand  to  Deck,  whom  he 
had  not  seen  since  early  in  the  morning. 

"I  am  glad  to  see  you,  Major,  and  I  am  very 
happy  to  find  that  you  have  not  been  killed  or 
wounded ;  for  nothing  but  your  lucky  star  could 
have  saved  you,"  said  the  lieutenant-colonel,  con- 
tinuing to  press  the  hand  he  held.  "  I  think  you 
did  more  than  your  share  in  winning  the  battle, 
and  you  exposed  yourself  more  than  was  neces- 
sary." 

"  I  don't  think  so,  Colonel ;  for  men  never  stand 


PREPARING   FOR   THP:   INVASION  145 

up  to  the  work  so  well  as  when  their  officers  lead 
them,"  replied  Deck. 

"  Captain  Knox  was  at  the  head  of  his  com- 
pany, and  he  never  flinched  a  hair ;  and  the  same 
can  be  said  of  Captain  Richland/' 

"  But  I  only  went  in  where  I  thought  some- 
thing extra  was  needed.  When  that  young  major 
was  rallying  the  regiment,  I  saw  that  he  made  an 
impression  on  the  breaking  ranks ;  and  it  looked 
to  me  as  though  our  men  would  give  way  before 
the  increased  vigor  of  the  assault.  Then  I 
thought  it  was  the  will  of  the  Lord  who  fights  on 
our  side,  that  the  brave  and  noble  major  should 
be  removed ;  for  I  believed  he  would  turn  the  tide 
against  us." 

"  Then  you  rode  over  him,  as  you  have  done 
several  times  before  in  the  heat  of  the  action," 
added  Colonel  Gordon  with  a  smile. 

"  I  considered  it  an  emergency  that  justified 
me  in  putting  my  best  foot  forward." 

"And  Ceph's  feet  also,"  laughed  the  colonel. 
"  Upon  my  word  and  honor.  Deck,  I  believe  you 
saved  the  day,  for  it  was  comparatively  easy  work 
after  the  major  went  down ;   for  I  happened  to  be 


146  AT    THE    FEONT 

near  enough  to  see  the  whole  affair.  You  rode 
over  him,  and  of  course  you  killed  him.  He  was 
the  last  of  the  field-officers  to  go  down." 

"  I  thank  the  Lord  that  I  did  not  kill  him," 
answered  Deck. 

"  You  will  spoil  that  boy,  Gordon,"  interposed 
Colonel  Lyon,  laying  the  pile  of  papei-s  he  had 
been  reading  on  the  desk.  "  Don't  flatter  him 
any  more." 

"  I  don't  flatter  him ;  I  speak  the  truth,  the 
whole  truth,  and  nothing  but  the  truth,"  protested 
Gordon.  "■  The  battery  was  silent ;  that  same 
young  major  had  discovered  where  the  balls  came 
from,  as  his  superiors  had  failed  to  do,  and  had 
sent  a  company  to  clean  out  the  riflemen.  Then 
he  went  in  to  win  on  the  field ;  and  he  would  have 
done  it  if  Deck  had  not  neutralized  him  by  laying 
him  out  on  the  ground.  A  cloud  of  witnesses 
will  say  the  same  thing.  Then,  Deck  has  a  level 
head,  and  I  don't  think  there  is  any  danger  of 
spoiling  him." 

"I  suppose  you  are  right,  Gordon,  for  I  saw 
the  whole  of  it ;  but  it  is  not  necessary  to  remind 
the  boy  of  all  these  things,"  said  Colonel  Lyon. 


PREPARING    FOR    THE    INVASION  147 

"  But  I  think  it  is  necessary  to  give  the  credit 
which  is  his  due ;  and  I  have  done  nothing  more," 
added  Gordon. 

"  I  did  not  kill  Major  Monroe ;  for  he  is  in  the 
room  next  to  mine,  and  I  will  introduce  you  when 
we  have  time,"  said  Deck ;  and  it  was  evident 
that  the  colonel  was  ready  for  business.  "You 
said  you  had  important  news  from  Major  Born- 
wood,  father." 

"  I  have  ;  and  I  have  just  been  reading  the 
papers  he  sent  me ;  and  they  amount  to  nothing 
less  than  the  reconstruction  of  the  regiment.  He 
proposes  to  make  it  consist  of  twelve  companies 
in  three  battalions." 

"That  amounts  to  a  revolution,"  added  Deck, 
who  began  to  see  where  the  "  two  more  majors  " 
were  to  come  in. 

"If  you  will  hear  me,  I  will  tell  you  all  I 
know  about  the  matter  myself,"  said  Colonel 
Lyon.  "  Major  Bornwood,  through  his  various 
agents,  has  raised  four  full  companies,  making 
eleven  in  all ;  and  he  wishes  me  to  raise  another 
company  in  this  vicinity.  I  think  I  have  al- 
ready raised   the   company.      I  have  talked  with 


148  AT   THE   FRONT 

Captain  Halliburn  on  tlie  snbject,  for  I  am  very 
desirous  of  having  those  riflemen  in  tlie  regi- 
ment." 

"  They  would  be  exceedingly  valuable,  espe- 
cially if  Major  Batterson's  battery  is  still  to  be 
attached  to  the  command,"  added  Colonel  Gordon. 

"  Of  the  battery  I  can  say  nothing ;  but  Cap- 
tain Halliburn  is  confident  that  he  can  make  a 
full  company  of  riflemen.  For  the  people  in  this 
locality  understand  very  well  that  the  State  is 
to  be  invaded  by  the  enemy  from  the  direction 
of  Cumberland  Gap ;  that  the  frequent  raids 
from  Tennessee  are  a  part  of  the  movement  to 
clear  the  way.  They  are  anxious  to  take  part 
in  the  defence.  Major  Bornwood  is  acting  very 
vigorously;  and  the  important  news  from  him, 
in  addition  to  what  I  have  already  given  you, 
is  that  he  is  marching  to  Columbia  with  the 
seven  companies  which  have  been  at  Munford- 
ville  ;  and  he  will  be  here  by  to-morrow  noon, 
if  not  sooner." 

"  Captain  Halliburn  wishes  to  see  you,  Colo- 
nel Lyon,"  said  the  steward,  coming  into  the 
room,  after  knocking. 


PREPARING   FOR   THE   INVASION  149 

"I  will  see  him  here,"  replied  the  com- 
mander. 

The  captain  of  the  Home  Guard  of  Millers- 
ville  presented  himself  at  once. 

"I  am  glad  to  see  you,  Captain  Halliburn, 
and  I  was  just  speaking  of  you." 

"  I  have  called  on  business,  Colonel  Lyon ;  for 
I  think  I  shall  have  a  full  company  to  join 
your  regiment,  and  they  will  all  be  in  Columbia 
before  night." 

"I  am  very  glad  to  hear  it,  for  the  other 
seven  companies  will  be  here  by  noon  to-mor- 
row," added  the  commander. 

"  I  have  had  a  long  talk  with  Ripley ;  and  he 
is  very  much  pleased  with  the  idea  of  joining 
your  regiment,  and  all  the  men  he  had  here  are 
ready  to  enlist.  It  is  only  ten  miles  to  Millers- 
ville,  and  I  have  sent  him  and  half  a  dozen  of 
his  men  over  there  to  pick  up  about  forty  rifle- 
men ;  for  the  men  I  have  commanded  to-day  are 
not  riflemen,  or,  at  least,  they  are  not  up  to 
Ripley's  standard  as  sharpshooters.  He  made 
out  a  list  of  those  he  is  almost  certain  will  join. 
I  think  Ripley  ought  to  be  their  captain. 


150  AT    THE   FRONT 

"  He  is  entitled  to  it,  and  I  can  promise  that 
he  shall  have  it,"  replied  the  colonel.  "  Can 
you  name  the  two  lieutenants  ?  " 

"Ripley  said  that  Ethan  Butters  should  be 
first,  and  Sewell  Blount  second." 

"  Very  well ;  they  shall  have  commissions," 
added  the  commander,  as  he  wrote  the  names  in 
his  memorandum-book. 

He  had  hardly  done  so  before  the  steward 
opened  the  door,  and  Major  Bornwood  pushed 
him  aside,  making  his  way  to  the  desk  of  the 
colonel,  who  rose  to  receive  him. 

"I  did  not  expect  to  meet  you  to-day.  Major, 
but  I  am  extremely  happy  to  see  you,"  replied 
the  commander,  as  he  took  the  hand  of  the  staff- 
officer.  "  I  think  we  have  raised  the  company 
needed." 

Major  Bornwood  was  introduced  to  Captain 
Halliburn. 


SEEKING   INEOliMATION    OF    THE    ENEMY      151 


CHAPTER   XI 

SEEKING   IKFOEMATION    OF   THE   ENEMY 

Major  Bornwood  explained  that  he  had  left 
the  seven  companies  of  which  he  had  taken 
temporary  command  at  Greensburg,  where  they 
had  arrived  the  evening  before,  in  charge  of 
Captain  Gadsbury,  with  instrnctions  to  march  as 
far  as  Haskinsville  that  night,  while  he  had 
hurried  forward  to  that  place  himself,  and  spent 
the  night  there.  He  had  found  the  battalion  in 
good  condition  in  the  morning,  and  had  ridden 
with  all  speed  to  Columbia. 

"Now,  Colonel  Lyon,  your  command  is  needed 
in  Lincoln  County,  and  we  have  no  time  to 
spare ;  the  four  companies  raised  by  my  agents 
are  from  the  best  material  in  Kentucky,  and  I 
found  men  of  wealth  and  position  in  the  ranks. 
I  found  more  gentlemen  than  I  needed  who  were 
familiar  with  military ;  and  I  called  upon  each 
company  to  elect,  or  at  least   to    indicate,  their 


152  AT   THE   FRONT 

own  officers.  I  inquired  carefully  into  the  fit- 
ness of  each  candidate,  and  when  they  were 
chosen,  I  commissioned  them ;  and  I  believe  they 
are  as  good  officers  as  any  in  jouv  command, 
for  all  of  them  have  had  military  experience." 

"  I  am  glad  you  have  done  as  you  have,  Major 
Bornwood,"  replied  Colonel  Lyon.  "As  for 
the  company  raised  here,  they  will  be  mounted 
riflemen,  ,and  every  one  of  them  is  a  dead  shot." 

"  Good  !  Such  a  company  is  what  we  need. 
But  we  will  now  give  our  attention  to  the  field- 
officers.  As  now  organized,  the  regiment  will 
consist  of  three  battalions  of  four  companies 
each.  You  need  three  majoi-s ;  and  you  may 
nominate  two  more,  to  whom  I  will  give  com- 
missions without  asking  any  questions." 

"  I  am  ready  to  name  them  ;  but  with  three 
majors,  which  is  the  superior  in  rank  ?  They 
will  all  be  commissioned  at  the  same  time." 

"  That  may  be  true  of  the  two  you  are  to  name, 
though  I  think  not,"  continued  the  staff-officer. 
"Major  Lyon  already  has  his  rank." 

"  Certainly ;  I  understand  that  he  is  already  a 
major." 


SEEKING    INFORMATION    OF    THE   ENEMY      153 

"And  without  regard  to  age  or  anything  else, 
he  will  be  the  senior  major.  The  next  will  be 
the  second  major,  and  the  third  the  junior 
major." 

The  staff-officer,  who  appeared  to  have  an  idea 
who  were  to  be  named,  turned  the  pages  of  his 
diary,  and  then  called  upon  the  colonel  to  name 
the  first  of  the  new  field-officers. 

"  Captain  Thomas  Belthorpe,"  replied  the  com- 
mander promptly.  And  Major  Born  wood,  who 
had  seated  himself  at  the  desk,  immediately  wrote 
it  on  a  blank  he  had  before  him. 

"  But  which  major  will  he  be  ? "  asked  the 
colonel. 

"  The  second,  as  I  have  written  it.  The  next 
name,  if  you  please,  Colonel?"  said  the  writer, 
as  he  spread  out  another  blank. 

"  Captain  Bushrod  Truman." 

"The  junior  major,"  added  the  officer,  as  he 
wrote  the  name.  "  You  have  given  the  names  in 
the  order  in  which  they  received  their  captains' 
commissions." 

"  But  Major  Belthorpe  is  several  years  older 
than  my  son,  and  Major  Truman  is  at  least  seven 


154  AT    THE    FRONT 

years  the  senior  of  Dexter,"  suggested  the  com- 
mander. 

"Age  makes  no  difference  in  military  rank. 
McClellan  is  only  thirty-six ;  and  several  of  the 
major-generals  under  his  command  are  his  seniors, 
as  Sumner  is  sixty-six,  I  think  nothing  more 
need  be  said  on  that  point.  The  senior  major  is 
entitled  to  his  position  both  by  seniority  of  rank, 
and  eminent  service  on  the  field.  Colonel  Lyon, 
I  place  these  commissions  in  your  care,  to  be 
given  to  the  recipients  of  them,"  said  Major  Born- 
wood,  suiting  the  action  to  the  words. 

The  further  details  of  the  organization  need  not 
be  given.  The  next  in  rank  in  the  first  and  sec- 
ond companies  were  made  captains.  It  was  dark 
when  Captain  Ripley  arrived,  in  company  with 
over  forty  mounted  men.  The  commissions  were 
given  to  the  officers,  and  they  were  directed  to 
encamp  with  the  regiment.  A  dozen  others  came 
with  them  who  preferred  the  artillery  service,  and 
the  battery  was  increased  to  a  hundred  and  fifty 
men.  Another  lieutenant  was  commissioned  on 
the  recommendation  of  jNIajor  Batterson.  The 
seven  companies  from  Munfordville  arrived  a  lit- 


SEEKING    INFORMATION    OF    THE    ENEMY      155 

tie  later;  for  they  were  encumbered  with  a  long 
wagon-train  and  over  a  hundred  spare  horses. 
They  camped  on  the  field  near  the  creek. 

During  the  afternoon  the  prisoners  had  all  been 
paroled,  and  they  departed  in  squads  for  their 
homes.  Their  horses  were  poor  steeds,  and  were 
not  wanted  by  the  Union  force.  They  were  per- 
mitted to  ride  them ;  and  they  needed  them,  for 
the  regiment  was  from  Tennessee.  Provisions 
were  given  them  for  two  days'  rations. 

"  You  have  given  your  parole,  ]\Iajor  Monroe, 
and  I  suppose  the  time  has  come  for  us  to  part," 
said  Deck,  as  he  went  into  the  room  of  his  Con- 
federate friend.  "  We  may  never  meet  again ; 
but  your  future  is  assured  in  the  army,  though  I 
wish  you  were  fighting  on  the  other  side." 

"  I  have  the  same  cheerful  wish  in  regard  to 
you,"  replied  Monroe,  with  a  smile.  "•  If  I  ever 
meet  you  wounded  on  the  field  of  battle,  I  shall 
try  to  be  as  kind  and  generous  as  you  have  been 
to  me.  When  this  war  is  over,  I  hope  I  may  meet 
you  again ;  and  I  am  sure  there  is  nothing  on 
earth  that  one  can  do  for  another  that  I  should 
not  be  glad  to  do  for  you." 


156  AT    THE   FRONT 

"  Thank  you,  Major  Monroe ;  and  I  heartily  re- 
ciprocate your  good  will.  We  meet  as  enemies 
on  the  field  of  battle,  but  anywhere  else  as 
friends,"  replied  Deck,  as  they  shook  hands  and 
parted. 

The  two  officers  shook  hands  again  as  Monroe 
mounted  his  horse,  and  rode  away  on  the  road  by 
which  the  regiment  had  advanced  to  the  attack. 
Deck  had  admired  the  young  man  on  the  field, 
and  he  found  that  he  was  as  noble  and  honorable 
as  any  man  he  had  ever  met. 

After  the  men  had  breakfasted  the  next  morn- 
ing, the  three  battalions  were  marched,  each  in 
command  of  its  major,  to  an  open  field,  where 
they  were  drilled  for  several  hours.  Captain  Rip- 
ley's company  were  supplied  with  uniforms  from 
the  wagons,  and  with  sabres  and  revolvers;  but 
they  carried  their  own  rifles.  They  preferred  to 
ride  their  own  horses  for  the  same  reason  that 
they  chose  to  retain  their  own  rifles ;  they  were 
accustomed  to  them,  and  could  do  better  with 
them  than  with  those  furnished  by  the  govern- 
ment. 

After  the    battalion   drill    the   entire    regiment 


SEEKING    INFORMATION    OF    THE    ENEMY      157 

was  formed,  arid  the  colonel  put  them  thi-ough 
various  evolutions,  and  assured  himself  that  they 
were  familiar  with  the  tactics ;  for  he  was  a  rigid 
disciplinarian.  The  drill  occupied  all  the  fore- 
noon ;  and  after  dinner  the  regiment  marched  to 
Liberty,  about  twenty-five  miles  from  Columbia, 
Avhere  it  camped  for  the  night.  It  was  a  consid- 
erable village  even  at  that  time,  and  in  a  rich  and 
productive  region.  When  the  colonel  had  se- 
lected a  suitable  field  for  the  camp,  the  regiment 
marched  into  it,  the  tents  were  pitched,  and  the 
horses  picketed.  Though  many  of  the  inhabitants 
were  seen,  they  all  kept  at  a  distance,  apparently 
afraid  that  a  raid  was  intended,  and  that  they 
were  to  be  robbed  of  their  stock,  provisions,  and' 
whatever  else  they  had  to  lose. 

When  Deck  had  eaten  his  supper,  and  seen  that 
Ceph  had  been  fed  and  made  comfortable  for  the 
night,  he  walked  down  to  the  road  by  which  the 
command  had  arrived.  Then  he  went  a  short  dis- 
tance towards  the  centre  of  the  village.  He  had 
no  knowledge  of  the  place,  whether  the  people 
were  Union  or  Confederate.  He  was  passing  a 
house,  one  side  of  which  abutted  on  the  highway. 


158  AT    THE    TRONT 

with  the  windows  on  the  lower  floor  wide  open; 
for  it  was  an  August  day,  and  the  weather  was 
quite  warm.  A  man  in  one  of  the  rooms  was 
talking  in  a  loud  tone,  and  Deck  concluded  that 
the  person  addressed  must  be  very  deaf.  He  had 
no  intention  to  listen,  or  pry  into  other  people's 
business ;  but  a  sentence  that  attracted  his  atten- 
tion was,  as  it  were,  forced  into  his  ears. 

"  Ride  over  to  Middleburg  as  fast  as  the  mare 
kin  kerry  you,  and  tell  'em  there's  a  ridgimint  of 
Yanks  over  here,  Siah ;  and  don't  let  no  grass 
grow  under  j^our  boss's  heels,"  said  the  speaker; 
and  these  two  sentences  were  the  first  the  major 
heard. 

"What  good'll  that  do,  Dad?"  demanded  the 
person  spoken  to. 

"  There's  a  ridgimint  o'  Federate  calvary  over 
there  somewhere,  and  they'll  come  over  and  gether 
'em  all  up,"  said  the  father,  who  evidently  was 
not  a  person  of  finished  education;  and  tlie  lowly 
house  did  not  indicate  that  he  had  been  jjrosper- 
ous  in  the  world. 

Deck  did  not  feel  entirely  sure  that  the  regi- 
ment of  Confederates  would  be  able  to  gather  up 


SEEKING    INFORMATION    OF    THE   ENEMY      159 

the  Riveiiawns,  as  some  of  the  new  companies 
had  already  called  the  new  organization.  But  he 
was  not  sorry  to  hear  them  apply  the  name  to 
themselves,  for  it  proved  that  they  had  a  high 
respect  for  the  name ;  and  it  was  quite  true  that 
the  command  had  made  an  excellent  reputation 
for  itself  on  the  field  of  battle.  He  listened  a 
minute  or  two  longer ;  but  he  heard  nothing  more, 
and  it  looked  as  though  Siah  had  gone  to  the 
barn  to  saddle  his  mare.  He  walked  back  to  the 
camp.  It  did  not  appear  that  there  was  any 
other  road  in  the  vicinity  by  which  the  messen- 
ger could  get  to  Middleburg;  for  the  major  had 
studied  the  map  enough  to  know  where  the  town 
was  located,  and  he  concluded  that  he  must  pass 
the  entrance  of  the  field  where  the  camp  was 
located. 

The  guard-tent  was  just  inside  the  fence,  and 
two  sentinels  stood  there.  Both  of  them  saluted 
him ;  and  he  ordered  one  of  them  to  ask  Captain 
Abbey  to  send  Sergeant  Phillips  and  half  a  dozen 
men,  unmounted,  to  the  road.  Deck  watched  the 
highway,  for  he  intended  to  intercept  the  bearer 
of  the  message  to  the  people  of  Middleburg;  not 


160  AT   THE    FRONT 

that  he  had  any  objection  to  the  coming  of  the" 
"  Fed'rate  calvary,"  but  he  thought  he  might  ob- 
tain some  information  that  might  be  useful  to 
the  colonel. 

Sergeant  Phillips  promptly  appeared  with  his 
squad  of  six  men,  armed  with  sabre  and  carbine, 
just  as  Deck  saw  the  messenger  come  out  of  the 
yard  at  the  side  of  the  house.  Siah  seemed  to 
be  inclined  to  follow  his  father's  instructions  to 
the  letter,  for  he  put  the  mare  into  her  best  gal- 
lop as  soon  as  he  was  in  the  road ;  but  that  was 
not  saying  very  much,  as  hoi-se-flesh  is  rated  in 
Kentucky,  for  the  beast  was  nothing  but  a  scare- 
crow, and  her  gallop  could  have  been  beaten  by 
any  decent  rocking-horse  in  the  nursery  of  a  re- 
spectable house. 

"Sergeant  Phillips,  take  two  of  your  men,  go 
to  the  third  house  on  the  other  side  of  this 
street  —  wait  a  minute,"  said  Deck,  suddenly 
checking  liis  speech  as  Siah  came  up  to  the  spot. 
"  What  is  your  hurry,  Siah  ?  " 

"I  can't  stop  to  talk  now,  nohow,"  replied  the 
rider. 

"  Take  that  mare  by  the  bridle,  Sliivers,"  added 


SEEKING    INFORMATION    OF    THE    ENEMY      161 

the  major  to  one  of  the  soldiers ;  and  he  was 
promptly  obeyed. 

"  Let  my  hoss  alone !  She'll  kick  and  bite  if 
you  tech  her,"  added  Siah,  trying  to  make  her 
go  ahead  by  pounding  the  animal  with  a  heavy 
stick  he  had  used  before  for  this  purpose. 

"  I'll  risk  it,"  replied  Shivers,  wrenching  the 
stick  from  the  hand  of  the  boy,  who  was  a  stout 
fellow  of  about  sixteen. 

"Where  do  you  live,  Siah?"  asked  the  major 
in  a  gentle  tone. 

"Over  yender;"  pointing  to  the  house. 

"  Your  father  may  be  a  first  cousin  of  mine ; 
what  is  his  name  ?  " 

"Siah  Kinnell." 

"  I  suppose  Siah  stands  for  Josiah,  don't  it?  " 

"It  do,  all  round  the  world." 

"Now,  Phillips,  I  have  the  name.  Go  to  the 
third  house,  give  my  compliments  to  Mr.  Josiah 
Kinnell,  and  ask  him  if  he  will  be  so  kind  as  to 
step  over  here,  for  I  wish  to  see  him.  If  he 
won't  come,  take  two  men  with  you,  and  bring 
him  over  here,"  added  Deck,  turning  to  the  ser- 
geant, who  hastened  to  obey  the  order. 


162  AT    THE    FllONT 

"What  do  you  want  o'  dad?"  demanded  Siali, 
who  seemed  to  be  astonished  at  the  proceedings 
of  the  major. 

"  I  will  tell  him  when  he  comes." 

"  He  won't  come,  and  won't  make  no  talk  with 
a  Yank,"  replied  Siah  saucily. 

"  I  think  he  will  come ;  Phillips  has  such  a 
winning  way  Avith  him,  that  he  will  coax  him 
over  without  much  trouble.  Now,  Siah,  why  are 
you  in  such  a  hurry  ?  I  don't  see  any  house  on 
fire,  or  any  reason  for  such  haste." 

"  None  o'  your  business,  Yank  I  " 

"  I  don't  quite  agree  with  you  on  that  point. 
You  are  going  over  to  Middleburg." 

"  Who  told  you  so  ?  "  demanded  the  messenger, 
evidently  surprised  that  the  officer  knew  his  des- 
tination. 

"  Your  dad,  as  you  profanely  call  him.  Can 
you  tell  me  how  many  'Federate  calvary'  there  are 
over  that  way  ?  —  not  all  of  them  at  Middleburg, 
but  some  of  them  at  Crab  Orcliard,"  added  Deck. 

"Nuff  to  lick  your  crowd  out  of  their  boots," 
replied  Siah,  who  was  shrewd  enough  not  to  give 
information  to  an  enemy. 


SEEKING    INFORMATION    OF    THE    ENEMY      163 

"All  right,  my  boy;  but  I  don't  think  it  is 
best  for  you  to  go  over  to  Middleburg  to-night: 
you  might  catch  cold  and  be  sick.  Besides,  if 
the  '  calvary '  should  come  over  here,  you  will 
wish  to  see  us  licked  out  of  our  boots." 

"  Dad  told  me  to  go,  and  I'm  goin',"  blustered 
Siah. 

"  Two  of  you  take  this  fellow  from  his  horse, 
hand  him  over  to  the  ofhcer  of  the  day,  and  have 
him  kept  securely  till  morning,"  continued  Deck. 

"  My  horse  will  run  away  if  you  leave  her  in 
the  road,  and  then  you  will  have  to  pay  for  her," 
growled  Siah. 

"  She  will  not  run  away  if  she  can  help  it," 
added  the  major.     "  Take  him  off." 

Kinnell  had  declined  to  come,  but  the  two 
soldiers  had  brought  him.  Deck  ordered  the  men 
to  take  the  prisoner  to  the  colonel's  tent,  and 
went  with, them.  He  explained  to  his  father 
what  he  had  done  so  that  Kinnell  could  not  hear 
him.  By  various  devices  they  compelled  the 
prisoner  to  tell  how  many  Confederates  were  in 
the  vicinity,  —  two  regiments  of  cavalry. 


164  AT    THE    mONT 


CHAPTER   XII 

THE   EXPEDITION    OF   THE  THKEE    SCOUTS 

The  principal  device  used  with  Kiniiell,  after 
the  field-officers  understood  the  man,  was  a  gold 
coin  of  the  value  of  five  dollars.  He  was  a  Seces- 
sionist simply  because  the  "white  trash"  of  that 
locality,  as  in  many  other  regions  of  the  State, 
were  of  that  easy  persuasion.  There  was  no 
principle  underlying  their  political  belief.  INIajor 
Bornwood  took  part  in  the  examination,  for  he 
was  deeply  interested  in  all  movements  in  this 
part  of  the  State.  He  had  been  sent  to  prepare 
for  the  invasion  projected  by  General  Bragg,  act- 
ing with  Kirby  Smith.  Though  we  have  con- 
nected him  only  with  the  reorganization  of  the 
Riverlawn  regiment,  he  had  a  dozen  other  irons 
in  the  fire. 

The  camp  of  the  force  was  on  or  near  the  line 
by  which  the  enemy  would  move  to  Lexington, 
the    capital,  where    it  was    suspected   that   some 


THE    EXPEDITION    OP    THE    THREE    SCOUTS      165 

political  work  would  be  done,  such  as  establishing 
the  provisional  government,  which  existed  mostly 
in  the  camps  of  the  Confederates.  Morgan's 
great  raid  had  done  a  vast  deal  of  mischief;  and 
he  had  been  driven  by  a  superior  force  of  Ken- 
tucky cavalry,  after  he  had  destroyed  Fe'deral 
property  to  the  value  of  over  a  million  dollars, 
capturing  many  towns,  paroling  over  a  thousand 
Union  troops,  and  made  his  escape  into  East  Ten- 
nessee through  this  portion  of  the  State.  It  was 
well  understood  that  Kirby  Smith  was  in  the 
State,  moving  to  the  north ;  and  ten  days  later 
he  occupied  the  capital. 

"  The  question  now  is  where  we  are,  and  what 
portion  of  the  enemy  is  near  us,"  said  Major 
Bornwood.  "It  was  a  wise  move  on  the  part 
of  Major  Lyon  to  follow  up  the  remark  he  acci- 
dentally overheard.  I  have  no  doubt  there  is 
a  considerable  force  of  the  enemy's  cavalry  at  the 
east  of  us.  Wherever  Kirby  Smith's  army  is  at 
tliis  moment,  I  have  no  doubt  he  has  thrown  out 
a  battalion  of  cavalry  to  his  left,  to  cover  his 
flank,  and  to  drive  off  any  force  that  may  be 
lying  in  wait,   or  to  annoy  and  harass  him." 


166  AT    THE    FUONT 

"  What  do  you  suppose  will  be  his  route  to 
the  capital  and  the  Ohio  River,  Major?"  asked 
Colonel  LyoD. 

"  By  Harbours ville,  London,  and  Richmond." 

"  Then,  the  main  body  of  his  army  will  pass 
within  forty  miles  of  Liberty,  and  the  cavalry  of 
which  you  speak  must  be  within  twenty  miles 
of  us  ;  and  the  theory  conforms  to  the  meagre 
facts  we  have  wrung  from  this  man." 

"  Middleburg,  where  Siah  was  to  go  to  inform 
the  enemy  of  our  presence,  is  not  more  than  ten 
miles  from  Liberty,"  suggested  jNIajor  Lyon. 

"  Did  you  expect  your  messenger  would  find 
a  Confederate  force  at  Middleburg,  Mr.  Kinnell?  " 
asked  the  staff-officer. 

"  I  reckon  I  hain't  got  nothin'  more  to  say. 
I  ain't  one  o'  your  ginrals,  and  I  don't  make 
nothin'  by  talkin',"  replied  Kinnell  doggedly. 

Colonel  Lyon  placed  a  gold  half-eagle  on  the 
table  before  him. 

"  Will  that  open  your  mouth  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  I'll  tell  you  all  I  know  for  that !  "  exclaimed 
the  prisoner,  his  eyes  brightening  as  though  he 
had  not  seen  so  much  money  for  a  year. 


"I'll  tell  you  All  I  know" 


Page  16G 


THE   EXPEDITION    OF    THE   THREE    SCOUTS      167 

"  Speak ;  and  if  you  give  us  any  false  infor- 
mation, it  will  be  all  the  worse  for  you,"  added 
the  colonel,  as  he  gave  the  man  the  coin.  "  Did 
you  expect  Siali  would  find  a  Confederate  force 
at  Middleburg  ?  " 

"I  did  not;  but  Cun'l  Chipton  lives  tliere, 
and  Siah  was  to  go  to  him,  I  expected  the  cun'l 
to  do  the  rest  on  't,"  replied  Kinnell,  putting  the 
gold  piece  in  an  old  wallet. 

"  How  large  is  the  Confederate  force  in  that 
region?"  asked  Deck. 

"  I  was  over  there  this  arternoon,  and  saw 
Cun'l  Chipton." 

"  Who  is  he  ?  "  inquired  the  colonel. 

"  He  ain't  in  the  army ;  he's  a  farmer.  He 
said  two  ridgimints  o'  calvary  was  down  by 
Buck  Creek,  twenty  mile  from  Middleburg. 
That's  all  I  know ;  and  now  I  want  to  go 
home." 

"  Not  to-night ;  you  will  have  to  sleep  at  the 
camp.  If  we  find  that  you  have  humbugged 
us,  you  will  lose  that  gold  coin,  and  may  hang 
on  the  nearest  tree,"  said  the  colonel.  ''  Cor- 
poral!" 


168  AT   THE   FRONT 

"I  hain't  told  you  nothin'  but  the  truth;  I'm 
willin'  to  swear  to  't,"  protested  Kmnell. 

"  Your  oath  would  be  worth  no  more  than  your 
word.  Corporal,  take  this  man  to  the  guard-tent, 
and  tell  the  officer  to  be  sure  that  we  find  him 
in  the  morning,"  added  Colonel  Lyon. 

The  corporal  obeyed  the  order,  and  the  field- 
officers  with  the  staff-officer  were  alone. 

"I  am  inclined  to  believe  that  the  man  told 
the  truth  so  far  as  he  knew  it,"  said  Major 
Bornwood,  as  the  colonel  fell  to  studying  his 
map. 

"  I  find  Buck  Creek  is  a  branch  of  the  Cum- 
berland in  Pulaski  County,  and  not  far  from 
Somerset,  near  the  field  of  the  battle  of  Mill 
Spring.  The  first  thing  we  have  to  do  is  to 
verify,  if  we  can,  the  information  given  by  Kin- 
nell,"  said  the  colonel,  looking  into  the  faces  of 
his  associates,  as  if  to  ascertain  how  what  he 
proposed  could  be  accomplished.  If  that  fellow 
told  the  truth,  I  fancy  I  can  tell  just  where 
those  two  regiments  have  camped ;  at  any  rate, 
it  is  the  place  I  should  have  chosen.  It  lies 
just  east  of  Miltonville  "  — 


THE   EXPEDITION   OF   THE   THREE    SCOUTS      169 

"  Miltonville !  "  exclaimed  Major  Lyon,  spring- 
ing to  his  feet. 

"  What  is  the  matter,  Dexter  ? "  demanded 
his  father. 

"Miltonville  was  named  after  Win  Milton's 
grandfather,  and  he  was  brought  up  there.  -  He 
knows  all  about  that  region,  and  I  have  no 
doubt  he  has  fished  in  Buck  Creek." 

"  Send  for  Lieutenant  Milton,  Dexter,"  added 
the  colonel ;  and  in  five  minutes  he  was  in  the 
tent.  "Lieutenant,  do  you  know  anything  about 
Buck  Creek?  For  you  have  been  our  guide  be- 
fore in  this  region." 

"  I  know  all  about  it.  Colonel  Lyon,"  replied 
Milton.  "I  was  born  and  brought  up  witliin 
ten  miles  of  this  village,  and  I  have  fished  in 
all  the  streams  within  twenty  miles  of  my  birth- 
place." 

"  How  far  is  it  from  here  ?  " 

"  About  thirty  miles  to  Grundy,  the  nearest 
town  to  it  on  the  Somerset  road.  I  could  make 
the  distance  less  than  that  hy  the  short-cuts  I 
know." 

The    colonel    explained    the    situation    to    the 


170  .  AT    THE   FRONT 

lieutenant,  and  pointed  out  to  him  the  fancied 
location  of  the  Confederate  camp,  and  then 
asked  for  any  suggestion  in  regard  to  the  next 
movement. 

"  There  is  only  one  thing  to  do,  I  should  say, 
with  due  respect  to  my  superior,"  replied  Milton. 

"The  fellow  we  captured  here  says  there  are 
two  regiments  of  Confederate  cavalry  on  Buck 
Creek ;  but  the  rascal  may  be  lying,  though  I 
think  he  has  told  us  the  truth,"  added  the  com- 
mander. "•  What  is  the  one  thing  to  do.  Lieu- 
tenant,   which  you  would  suggest?" 

"  I  should  send  not  more  than  three  scouts 
to  ascertain  whether  or  not  the  man  lied,"  added 
Lieutenant  Milton.  "  Three  men  will  not  attract 
attention,   as  a  greater  number  might." 

"And  you  will  go  with  them  as  their  guide?" 
queried  the   colonel. 

"  I  should  prefer  to  go  as  one  of  them,  rather 
than  have  four  persons,"  replied  Milton. 

"  But  we  have  not  time." 

"We  have  all  the  time  there  is,  as  my  school- 
master used  to  say,"  answered  the  lieutenant. 

"  But  look  at  it  a  moment;    the  three  scouts 


THE    EXPEDITION    OE    THK    THREE    SCOUTS      171 

have  to  ride  sixty  miles  before  we  can  do  any- 
thing, and  the  enemy  may  take  themselves  off 
before  we  get  a  chance  at  them,"  argued  the 
colonel. 

"  I  shall  not  presume  to  discuss  the  question 
Avith  the  commander ;  but  I  think  my  plan  is 
quite  practicable,"   said  INlilton  modestly. 

"I  don't  see  it  yet,"  pei-sisted  Colonel  Lyon; 
and  the  lieutenant-colonel  and  the  three  majors 
could  not  see  it  an}^  better.  "  Let  us  have  your 
plan  a  little  more  in  detail,  Lieutenant  Milton. 
I  shall  have  all  confidence  in  you,  if  you  do  not 
attempt  impossibilities." 

''  I  shall  not  do  that.  Colonel  Lyon.  I  shall 
make  the  distance  something  less  than  thirty 
miles ;  perhaps  not  more  than  twenty-four  if 
things  in  the  vicinity  of  Miltonville  are  as  they 
were  about  two  years  ago.  We  can  ride  this 
distance  in  two  and  a  half  hours  if  necessary." 

"  But  your  horses  have  done  over  twenty  miles 
since   dinner." 

"  I  propose  to  change  them  at  INIiltonville  for 
the  remaining  fourteen  miles,  and  take  our  own 
on  the  return. 


172  AT    THE    FRONT 

"  If  you  are  sure  of  finding  horses  ten  miles 
from  Liberty,  the  plan  will  work  very  well,  I 
should  say,"  said  the  commander. 

"  If  not  at  Miltonville,  we  shall  find  them  at 
Somerset,  though  I  have  hardly  a  doubt  about 
getting  them  at  our  first  stopping-place.  I  know 
every  man  in  the  town,  and  the  people  will  do 
all  they  can  for  me.  But  I  will  guarantee  that 
we  shall  get  to  our  destination  in  three  hours  at 
the  most.     What  time  is  it  now,  sir?  " 

"  Half-past  seven,"  replied  the  commander,  con- 
sulting his  watch. 

"I  thought  it  was  much  later.  We  shall  be 
at  Somerset  by  eleven,  if  we  waste  no  time.  Al- 
lowing an  hour  for  the  scouting  near  Buck  Creek, 
we  shall  be  ready  to  return  by  midnight,  and 
shall  be  in  this  camp  by  three  in  the  morning." 

"  What  do  you  think  of  this  plan,  Major  Born- 
wood  ?  "  asked  the  colonel,  turning  to  the  staff- 
officer. 

"  It  looks  entirely  feasible  to  me.  Colonel ;  but 
I  think  I  can  suggest  an  improvement  upon  it," 
replied  the  officer  addressed. 

"  I   do  not  insist  upon  my  own   plan.    Colonel 


THE    EXPEDITION    OF    THE    THREE    SCOUTS       173 

Lyon ;  and  I  will  obey  any  orders  given  me," 
added  INlilton. 

"What  change  do  you  suggest,  Major?"  asked 
the  commander. 

"  As  I  have  had  occasion  to  ascertain,  the  tele- 
graph-line is  open  from  Somerset  to  INIunfordville, 
and  there  is  a  station  in  Liberty  at  the  post-office. 
You  can  take  possession  of  it.  Colonel." 

"  Of  course  I  can,  as  a  militaiy  measure ;  but 
proceed  with  your  plan.  Major,  if  you  please." 

"  If  the  three  scouts  complete  their  work  at  the 
creek,  not  more  than  five  miles  from  Somerset, 
by  midnight,  they  can  telegraph  the  fact  that  the 
enemy  are,  or  are  not,  there  to  Liberty,  and  it 
will  not  be  necessary  for  the  three  to  return." 

"  Excellent !  "  exclaimed  the  colonel.  "  The 
question  seems  to  be  settled,  and  the  scouts  shall 
be  sent  off  at  once.     But  who  shall  they  be  ?  " 

"  I  volunteer,  for  one,"  said  Major  Lyon. 

"  I  do  not  object,  for  the  major  is  somewhat 
accustomed  to  such  service,"  said  the  colonel, 
laup'hino-. 

The  second  and  junior  majors  promptly  fol- 
lowed the  example  of  Deck. 


174  AT   THE    FEONT 

"What  do  you  say,  Major  Lyon?"  inquired 
the  commander. 

"  I  should  like  the  privilege  of  appointing  the 
third  myself,"  replied  Deck. 

"  Name  him  at  once,  and  let  us  not  lose  a 
moment,"  added  the  colonel. 

"  Captain  Life  Knox,"  replied  the  senior  major. 

"  Approved !  "  exclaimed  the  commander  very 
earnestly. 

"A  word  more,  if  you  please,"  interposed 
Major  Bornwood.  "  You  must  see  the  postmaster 
when  you  get  to  Somerset,  and  make  sure  that 
there  is  an  operator  in  the  office  by  eleven  o'clock. 
If  the  colonel  gets  your  message,  Major  Lyon,  for 
you  are  the  ranking  officer,  and  in  command,  — 
perhaps  he  will  deem  it  advisable  to  march  as  soon 
as  it  is  received.     I  make  this  as  a  suggestion." 

"  I  accept  it,  and  I  will  see  that  everything 
is  ready  to  march  by  midnight,"  replied  Colonel 
Lyon,  who  had  already  sent  Lieutenant  Fronk- 
lyn  to  capture  the  post-office  and  telegraph  sta- 
tion, and  sent  for  Captain  Knox.  "Now,  is 
everything  understood  ?  "  he  asked,  with  a  glance 
at  Deck  and  Milton. 


THE    EXPEDITION    OP    THE   THREE    SCOUTS       175 

Everything  was  understood,  and  the  three 
scouts  were  directed  to  have  their  horses  ready 
as  soon  as  possible.  All  the  animals  had  been 
grained,  and  they  were  not  obliged  to  wait  for 
anything.  Before  they  left,  a  message  came  from 
Lieutenant  Fronklyn  that  he  had  captured  the-  tel- 
egraph station;  but  the  postmaster,  who  was  also 
the  operator,  was  a  Secessionist,  and  was  ugly. 
A  guard  of  ten  men  was  sent  to  prevent  any 
interference  with  the  plan.  The  lieutenant  mod- 
estly wrote  that  he  had  been  an  operator  formerly, 
and  would  take  charsfe  of  the  machine  if  ordered 
to  do  so.  Of  course  an  order  to  that  effect  was 
sent  at  once.  The  three  scouts  had  each  filled 
his  haversack,  and  put  an  extra  revolver  in  his 
belt.  At  eight  o'clock  they  started  on  their  long 
ride  in  the  highest  spirits ;  and  all  of  them  seemed 
to  look  upon  the  expedition  as  a  sort  of  frolic. 
The  trio  were  all  men  of  high  rank  to  do  duty  as 
scouts ;  but  Life  was  the  best  in  the  army,  and  it 
was  not  beneath  his  dignity  as  a  captain  to  serve 
his  country  in  any  capacity  where  he  could  be  use- 
ful. They  went  off  at  a  smart  gallop,  as  though 
their  horses  entered  into  the  spirit  of  the  affair. 


176  AT    THE    FRONT 

The  postmaster  was  not  at  all  pleased  with 
the  turn  affairs  had  taken  in  his  office.  While 
Lieutenant  Fronklyn  was  seated  near  the  key  of 
the  machine,  a  call  was  made  from  some  j)lace  on 
the  line.  The  officer  took  his  place  at  the  board, 
and  received  what  came. 

"  I  object  to  your  taking  the  business  of  the 
office  out  of  my  hands,"  said  the  usual  operator. 
"  I  am  responsible  for  what  is  done  here." 

"So  am  I.  This  office  is  in  the  keeping  of 
the  commander  of  the  force  in  the  field  up  the 
road.  If  you  have  any  objections  to  make,  I 
refer  you  to  Colonel  Lyon;  I  obey  his  orders. 
Arrest  this  man,  and  march  him  to  the  colonel," 
said  the  lieutenant. 

The  message  he  wrote  out  was  from  Somer- 
set as  follows :  "  How  many  men  in  the  force 
at  Liberty,  whose  arrival  you  wired  to  me  ?  "  It 
was  signed  by  "Scott  Colonel." 


USING   THE   TELEGRAPH   AT   NIGHT  177 


CHAPTER   XIII 

USING    THE   TELEGRAPH    AT   NIGHT 

It  appeared  that  Camden,  the  postmaster  and 
telegraph  operator,  had  wired  the  colonel  com- 
manding near  Somerset,  —  for  the  despatch  came 
from  there,  —  of  the  presence  of  the  Union  force  at 
Liberty.  It  had  already  been  demonstrated  that 
the  man  in  charge  of  the  office  was  a  Secessionist, 
and  the  message  which  had  just  come  fuUy  proved 
it.  He  had  been  arrested,  and  sent  to  the  camp. 
Lieutenant  Fronklyn  was  not  only  a  faithful,  but 
an  intelligent  officer.  He  had  served  as  an  oper- 
ator, and  he  knew  that  the  original  messages  were 
usually  kept  on  file  for  future  reference  if  neces- 
sary ;  and  he  immediately  looked  it  over  to  find 
the  one  sent  to  the  colonel  of  the  enemy. 

The  lieutenant  had  some  doubt  about  finding  it, 
for  it  might  have  been  sent  without  writing  it  out, 
as  the  operator  was  the  author  of  it ;  but  it  was 
the  last  despatch  on  the  file,  and  it  was  on  the 


178  AT  THE   FKONT 

top.  Calling  one  of  his  men,  he  sent  this  original, 
with  the  message  he  had  just  received,  to  the  colo- 
nel, and  asked  for  instructions.  The  man  sent 
found  the  camp  a  lively  collection  of  cavalrymen ; 
for  orders  had  already  been  given  for  them  to  be 
ready  for  an  early  call  in  the  morning,  and  they 
were  preparing  for  it.  But  the  colonel  was  in  his 
tent  with  Major  Bornwood,  discussing  the  situa- 
tion, when  the  messenger  was  admitted  to  the 
presence  of  the  colonel. 

"Lieutenant  Fronklyn  has  just  taken  this  mes- 
sage from  the  wire,"  said  he,  handing  it  to  the 
commander.  "  This  despatch  he  found  on  the 
file,"  he  added,  passing  the  original  to  him. 

Colonel  Lyon  read  the  one  from  Somereet,  and 
passed  it  to  the  staff-ofhcer. 

"If  w^e  wait  long  enough  we  are  likely  to  be 
attacked  here,"  said  the  colonel. 

"  This  is  not  a  good  field  for  an  engagement," 
replied  the  major,  when  he  had  glanced  at  the  de- 
spatch. "  You  had  better  take  the  bull  by  the 
horns,  instead  of  waiting  for  him  to  pitch  into  you 
at  a  disadvantage.  This  inquiry  is  signed  by 
'Scott,  Colonel.'     I  have  no  doubt  tliis  despatch 


USING    THE   TELEGRAPH   AT    NIGHT  179 

comes  from  Colonel  Scott,  commanding  Kirby 
Smith's  cavalry,  and  the  information  is  impor- 
tant." 

"Doubtless  his  force  consists  of  veterans," 
added  the  colonel. 

"  No  doubt  of  it,  and  caution  is  a  desirable  .vir- 
tue just  now,"  replied  the  major. 

"  It  is  clear  enough  now  that  the  force  we  have 
been  talking  about  so  much  to-night  is  in  the 
vicinity  of  Somerset,  and  the  expedition  of  the 
three  scouts  may  prove  to  be  unnecessary,"  sug- 
gested the  commander. 

"  They  are  five  miles  from  Liljerty  by  this  time." 

"But  I  might  recall  them  by  telegraph  to  Mil- 
tonville.     Is  it  advisable  to  do  so,  major?  " 

"  I  think  not,"  replied  the  staff-officer  very  de- 
cidedly. "  iNIajor  Lyon  will  pick  up  all  the  in- 
formation he  can  when  he  gets  near  the  enemy, 
and  the  plan  had  better  be  carried  out  as  arranged. 
But  you  must  send  an  answer  to  this  message. 
Colonel  Lyon,"  said  the  major,  with  a  significant 
smile. 

"  Will  you  write  it,  if  you  please,  Major  Born- 
wood?"  asked  the  colonel. 


180  AT   THE   FRONT 

"I  will;  "  and  going  to  the  table,  he  began  to 
write. 

While  he  was  thus  engaged,  the  commander 
gave  his  attention  to  the  original  of  the  postmas- 
ter's message.  He  had  evidently  written  it  out 
to  make  sure  that  his  sentence  was  correct.  He 
had  erased  several  words,  and  tinkered  the  sen- 
tence till  it  read :  "  Yankee  force  camped  here 
this  afternoon." 

"  What  is  the  other  despatch  ?  "  asked  Major 
Born  wood,  with  the  paper  on  which  he  had 
written  in  his  hand. 

"  It  is  not  a  message  sent  here,  but  a  copy  of 
the  one  Camden  sent  to  Somerset,"  replied  the 
colonel,  handing  him  the  paper.  "  We  have  the 
sender  of  it  under  guard." 

"Where  he  ought  to  be.  Fronklyn  is  an  oper- 
ator, and  a  very  intelligent  fellow,"  added  the 
major.  "  Now  what  do  you  say  to  this  ?  "  And 
the  staff-officer  read  what  he  had  written :  "  Learn- 
ing your  force  was  near,  enemy  marched  in  haste 
for  Greensburg  at  eight." 

"  That  will  do  admirably  !  "  exclaimed  the  colo- 
nel, rubbing  his  hands  with  delight.     "  That  is  a 


USING   THE   TELEGRAPH    AT   NIGHT  181 

bit  of  the  tactics  of  Morgan  the  raider,  who  used 
the  telegraph  for  his  own  purposes." 

"  The  enemy  are  at  least  twenty-four  miles  from 
Liberty,  and  the  Confederate  colonel  will  not  think 
of  pursuing  us  with  such  a  start  against  him," 
added  the  major.  "Send  the  message  to  Fronk- 
lyn,  with  an  order  to  wire  it  at  half-past  eight." 

It  was  nearly  that  time,  and  it  was  sent  at  once. 

"  These  despatches  put  a  new  phase  on  the  busi- 
ness before  us,"  said  the  colonel,  rubbing  his  head 
to  stimulate  his  ideas,  as  he  looked  upon  the 
ground  in  deep  thought. 

"  It  will  put  a  new  phase  upon  it  for  Scott.  I 
have  no  doubt  he  has  had  a  hard  march,  and  that 
his  men  need  rest.  Your  despatch  will  quiet  him, 
and  he  will  order  his  command  to  get  all  the  sleep 
they  can  to-night." 

"  So  much  the  better,  and  we  will  endeavor  to 
give  them  a  hard  day's  work  to-morrow,"  replied 
the  commander.     "But  one  thing  troubles  me." 

"What  is  that?" 

"I  am  afraid  we  are  moving  a  little  blindly. 
All  the  talk  has  been  about  two  cavalry  regi- 
ments of  the  enemy  in  this  vicinity,  and  it  looks 


182  AT   THE    FRONT 

as  though  we  might  be  outnumbered,"  answered 
the  colonel.  "  If  their  ranks  are  full,  they  ought 
to  have  at  least  two  thousand,  men." 

''•But  their  ranks  are  not  full,  and  I  happen 
to  know  that  they  have  only  eight  companies  in 
each  regiment ;  for  General  Buell  is  a  careful 
commander,  and  he  generally  knows  the  force  of 
the  enemy,  sometimes  in  detail,  as  in  this  in- 
stance. In  my  opinion,  Scott  has  not  over  fifteen 
hundred  men,  and  perhaps  not  over  twelve  hun- 
dred. His  regiments  do  not  consist  of  three  bat- 
talions each." 

"  If  you  are  correct  "  — - 

'•'•  I  know  I  am  correct  as  far  as  I  have  stated." 

"  We  have  fourteen  hundred,  and  cannot  be 
greatly  outnumbered.  But,  after  all,  it  depends 
largely  upon  the  situation  in  which  we  find  them. 
If  the  ground  favors  us,  as  it  did  at  Columbia, 
our  force  is  sufiticient;  for  we  were  outnumbered 
there.  But  we  need  not  wait  for  the  despatches 
from  Major  Lyon,  for  we  know  the  enemy  are  at 
Buck  Creek.  I  have  given  orders  for  the  men 
to  get  what  sleep  they  can,  and  be  ready  to  march 
at  any  hour  of  the  niglit." 


USING   THE   TELEGRAPH   AT    NIGHT  183 

Everything  had  been  done  in  the  way  of  prep- 
aration ;  and  the  two  officers  rolled  themselves  up 
in  their  blankets,  and  stretched  themselves  on  the 
ground.  They  were  soon  asleep,  and  the  guard 
was  ordered  to  call  the  commander  at  half-past 
eleven.  No  more  messages  came  from  Somei*set 
or  any  other  place.  They  had  but  three  hours  to 
sleep,  though  many  of  the  men  had  gone  to  sleep 
as  soon  as  they  had  been  to  supper ;  for  they  had 
fought  a  hard  battle  the  day  before,  and  had 
marched  over  twenty  miles  since  dinner.  The 
officer  of  the  day  had  divided  the  hours  for  re- 
pose among  the  guards ;  but  Fronklyn  and  his 
men  at  the  post-office  had  to  catch  their  sleep  as 
they  could.  The  lieutenant  stretched  himself  on 
the  counter,  where  he  could  hear  the  click  of  the 
instrument ;   and  they  all  slept  most  of  the  time. 

The  three  scouts  went  off  at  a  gallop,  hurrying 
their  steeds  all  the  way,  so  that  they  reached 
Miltonville  at  nine  o'clock.  Lieutenant  Milton 
went  to  his  father's  house,  where  he  was  cor- 
dially welcomed  by  his  parents,  and  especially  by 
Grace  Morgan,  his  Jiajicee,  who  was  there  on  a  visit. 

Mr.  Milton  was  a  prosperous  farmer,  and  raised 


184  AT   THE   FRONT 

horses  as  well  as  hemp  and  tobacco,  and  three 
fine  steeds  were  at  once  brought  out  for  the  use 
of  the  party.  The  saddles  and  all  the  other  trap- 
pings were  quickly  changed  by  the  riders,  who 
mounted  and  departed  as  they  shook  hands  with 
all  the  family;  and  the  lieutenant  did  more  than 
this  with  Grace. 

Miltonville,  Harrison,  and  Somerset  were  at  the 
three  angles  of  a  triangle.  Milton  led  the  way 
over  the  fields  and  through  the  woods ;  and  by 
this  cross-cut  he  gained  the  six  miles  which  re- 
duced the  distance  to  twenty-four  miles  to  Som- 
erset. The  horses  were  fresh ;  and  they  galloped 
over  the  fields  without  relaxing  the  speed,  and 
then  by  a  cart-path  through  the  woods.  Thej'" 
forded  Fishing  Creek  in  the  woods,  and  came  out 
on  the  Somerset  road  near  the  village.  They 
had  heard  the  clock  strike  ten  just  before  they 
reached  the  road,  and  it  was  not  more  than  a 
quarter  of  an  hour  later  when  they  halted  before 
the  post-office. 

"  Now,  Milton,  do  you  know  anything  about 
the  politics  of  the  postmaster?"  asked  Deck,  just 
before  they  reached  the  office. 


USING   THE   TELEGRAPH   AT  NIGHT  185 

"I  know  all  about  them,"  replied  the  lieuten- 
ant. "  Mr.  McCurcly  is  a  loyal  citizen,  and  has 
two  sons  in  the  Union  army." 

"Then  we  are  all  right,  and  we  must  see  him 
on  the  instant,"  added  Deck. 

jNIilton  dismounted,  handing  his  bridle-rein  to 
Life  Knox ;  and  in  a  moment  more  he  brought 
out  the  postmaster. 

"  Good-evening,  Mr.  INIcCurdy,"  said  Milton, 
extending  his  hand  to  him. 

"  Who  is  it  ?  I  can't  see  very  well  in  the 
night,"  asked  the  official,  as  he  took  the  offered 
hand. 

"Win  Milton." 

"I'm  glad  to  see  you.  Win.  You  have  shou.- 
der-straps  now,  and  I  am  glad  to  see  them  too," 
replied  Mr.  McCurdy  very  cordially.  "I  was 
afraid  it  was  some  more  of  those  Cornfeds  over 
at  the  camp ;  for  I  don't  like  to  send  treason  on 
my  wires." 

"  That  man  is  all  right,"  said  Deck,  as  Milton 
explained  their  mission. 

"But  I  thought  that  Union  force  over  to  Lil)- 
erty  had  marched  for  Greensburg  at  eight  o'clock, 


186  AT   THE   FRONT 

as  the  message  came  to  me  while  an  adjutant  was 
waiting  for  it." 

"  That  was  a  blind,"  laughed  Deck. 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  it ;  for  a  Confederate  army, 
under  Kirby  Smith,  is  moving  up  from  Cumber- 
land Gap  by  Barboursville  and  London." 

"  But  where  is  this  force  near  here  of  which 
you  spoke,  Mr.  McCurdy  ?  "  for  it  did  not  appear 
that  he  was  a  colonel,  or  even  a  major. 

"  It  is  camped  over  on  Buck  Creek,  about  five 
miles  from  here." 

"  All  right ;   information  correct,"  added  Deck. 

They  made  their  arrangements  to  send  de- 
spatches to  Liberty,  and  then  Milton  led  the  way 
on  the  road  to  Grundy ;  but  before  he  reached 
that  hamlet,  he  turned  into  the  field  on  the  left. 
They  soon  saw  what  the  guide  called  the  Buck 
Hills.  They  followed  a  stream  till  they  were 
abreast  of  the  hills,  and  about  the  centre  of  the 
length  of  the  range  of  elevations. 

"  We  had  better  leave  our  horses  here  ;  for  there 
is  a  path  over  the  hills  to  Buck  Creek,  and  I  have 
been  over  it  fifty  times  when  I  was  a  boy,"  said 
Milton,  as  he  reined  in  his  horse. 


USING   THE   TELEGRAPH    AT   NIGHT  187 

The  others  followed  his  example,  and  the  ani- 
mals were  picketed  in  some  trees  on  the  bank  of 
the  stream.  Then  they  ascended  the  hill,  and 
paused  on  the  summit,  where  they  were  concealed 
by  the  bushes  that  covered  all  the  hills.  They 
were  very  careful ;  for  the  sentinels  might  notice 
any  moving  bodies  in  the  moonlight,  which  for- 
tunately favored  the  scouts.  If  they  had  been 
at  all  sentimental  they  would  have  called  it  a 
beautiful  view.  The  moon  had  risen  since  they 
started  on  the  expedition,  and  was  now  well  up 
in  the  sky,  so  that  there  was  plenty  of  light  for 
their  purpose.  They  seated  themselves  on  a  rock, 
and  proceeded  to  take  a  survey  of  the  ground  in 
front  of  them.  Deck  was  even  planning  the 
battle  which  was  likely  to  come  off  on  the  fol- 
lowing day. 

He  took  off  his  cap,  and  placing  a  small 
piece  of  cartridge  paper,  which  he  had  evidently 
brought  with  him  for  the  purpose,  upon  it,  he 
began  to  make  a  map  of  the  locality.  First  he 
rudely  sketched  the  hills,  with  the  brook,  as 
Milton  called  it,  which  they  had  followed  from  the 
highway,  on  the  left  of  the  sheet.     Then  he  added 


188  AT    THE    FRONT 

Buck  Creek,  which  flowed  into  the  Cumberland 
River.  He  marked  the  location  of  Grundy, 
from  which  a  road  extended  to  the  north-east, 
through  Rockcastle  County.  This  thoroughfare 
crossed  Buck  Creek,  and  near  the  bridge  over 
it  at  the  present  time,  though  it  was  formerly 
only  a  ford,  a  branch  of  the  stream  extended 
along  the  road  as  far  as  Deck  could  see.  Between 
these  two  water-courses  the  land  formed  a  tri- 
angle, not  more  than  half  a  mile  wide  at  its 
base,  at  the  northern  end  of  the  range  of  hills. 
The  enemy  was  encamped  in  about  the  centre 
of  this  triangle. 

x\  further  examination  of  the  ground  before 
him  enabled  the  major,  with  a  single  line  of  his 
pencil,  to  change  a  portion  of  the  branch  stream 
into  a  pond,  perhaps  an  eighth  of  a  mile  in  length 
and  ten  rods  wide  in  the  middle.  The  road  at 
its  side  was  through  the  woods  at  this  point,  and 
Deck  thought  it  was  just  the  place  for  riflemen. 
He  could  find  nothing  more  to  add  to  his  map, 
and  he  considered  the  locality  for  an  engagement. 
He  would  post  tlie  six  guns  of  the  battery  on 
the  hill,  with  a  battalion   of    cavaliy  above   and 


USING   THE   TELEGRAPH   AT   NIGHT         189 

below  it,  and  the  third  battalion  near  the  apex 
of  the  triangle,  Captain  Ripley's  company  being 
posted  in  the  woods  on  the  shore  of  the  pond. 
In  fact,  this  disposition  was  qnite  similar  to  that 
of  his  father  in  the  field  at  Columbia.  He  had 
taken  everything  as  he  found  it  in  front  of  Jiim, 
and  had  not  imagined,  anything  that  would  favor 
the  Union  force. 

They  descended  the  hill  in  silence,  and  hastened 
back  to  Somerset,  where  they  found  Mr.  McCurdy 
waiting  for  them  in  the  office.  Deck  telegraphed 
that  he  had  found  the  enemy  as  first  reported, 
and  in  a  favorable  position  for  an  attack.  It  was 
only  eleven  o'clock ;  and  in  half  an  hour  came  a 
reply  that  the  force  would  march  at  twelve,  and 
arrive  at  daylight.  Milton  sent  the  three  horses 
back,  and  their  own  reached  Somerset  at  four  in 
the  morning. 


190  AT    THE   FRONT 


CHAPTER   XIV 

THE    OPENING    OF    THE   ENGAGEMENT 

At  half-past  eleven  there  was  nothing  more  for 
the  three  scouts  to  do ;  and  Deck  and  Milton  were 
gaping  so  that  they  were  in  peril  of  dislocating 
their  jaws,  though  it  never  seemed  to  make  unj 
difference  to  Life  Knox  whether  he  slept  at  all. 
While  waiting  for  the  answer  from  Liberty,  the 
major  had  worked  on  his  sketch,  and  had  com- 
pleted it  to  his  satisfaction.  Two  men  and  a 
boy  had  been  found  to  ride  the  borrowed  horses 
over  to  Miltonville,  and  bring  back  those  that 
had  been  left  there ;  for  Deck  was  not  inclined 
to  ride  a  strange  horse  in  an  engagement. 

"Now,  Win,  your  party  can  get  four  or  five 
hours'  sleep,  and  you  can  have  the  boys'  room," 
said  Mr.  McCurdj-.  "  I  will  call  you  when  your 
regiment  gets  here  ;  and  I  am  afraid  you  will 
have  a  hard  day's  work  of  it  to-morrow,  and 
you  need  all  the  sleep  you  can  get." 


THE    OPENING    OF    THE    ENGAGEMENT        191 

"  That  idea  strikes  me  favorably,  and  things 
are  in  good  trim  now,"  replied  Deck;  and  in  a 
few  minutes  all  of  them  were  asleep  in  the  boys' 
beds. 

While  they  slept,  the  Riverlawn  regiment  was 
marching  at  good  speed  to  Somerset.  Milton 
was  not  with  it,  and  they  had  to  follow  the 
roads  by  the  way  of  Harrison.  The  wagon-train, 
attended  by  a  sufficient  force  under  Quarter- 
master Hickman,  was  permitted  to  fall  behind  ; 
for  the  mules  are  not  rapid  travellers  at  the 
best,  and  the  colonel  hurried  the  men  to  a  rea- 
sonable degree.  They  made  about  eight  miles 
an  hour,  and  at  four  o'clock  in  the  morning  the 
head  of  the  column  halted  in  front  of  the  post- 
office.  While  the  clock  on  one  of  the  churches 
was  striking  four,  Mr.  McCurdy  called  the 
scouts.  They  were  on  their  feet  in  an  instant, 
and  their  toilet  did  not  detain  them  a  minute. 
Deck  found  his  father  in  the  office,  where  the 
postmaster  had  already  informed  him  what  the 
scouts  had  done.  The  sun  did  not  rise  till  half- 
past  five  in  this  latitude,  so  that  it  was  still 
dark,  and  the  office  was  lighted. 


192  AT    THE    FllONT 

"  Are  you  ready  for  us,  Major  -Lyon  ?  "  asked 
the  colonel,   as  Deck  came  into  the  room. 

''  All  ready,  Colonel  Lyon  ;  and  I  think  the 
force  should  be  moving  at  gnce,"  replied  the 
major,  as  he  went  to  the  counter,  on  which  a 
large  kerosene  lamp  was  burning,  where  he  spread 
out  the  rude   sketch  of  the  field  he  had   made. 

"  Have  you  considered  how  the  force  should 
be  posted,  Major  ? "  asked  the  commander,  as 
he  looked  over  the  drawing,  with  Major  Born- 
wood  at  his  side. 

"  This  makes  it  all  as  plain  as  the  engineers 
could  have  done  it,"  said  the  staff-officer,  as  he 
took  the  whole  thing  into  his  head  at  a  glance. 

"  Now,  Major  Lyon,  how  have  you  posted  the 
force  ?  "  asked  he,  after  he  had  studied  the  plan 
a  minute   or  two. 

"  Perhaps  it  would  be  disrespectful  to  my  su- 
perior to  meddle  with  his  duty,"  replied  Deck 
with  a  smile. 

"  But  you  have  looked  over  the  ground,  and 
I  have  not,"  added  his  father.  "  You  have  some 
talent  for  strategy,  I  have  been  told  by  several 
officers." 


THE    OPENING    OF    THE    ENGAGEMENT        193 

"  I  have  made  this  sketch  to  give  you  a  clear 
idea  of  the  position  of  the  enemy,  and  the  coun- 
try around  his   camp." 

"  But  if  I  ask  you  for  your  views  in  regard 
to  the  action,  I  am  entitled  to  receive  them," 
continued  the  colonel  ;  l)ut  he  was  smiling  -as 
though  he  was  indulging  in  a  pleasantly. 

"  As  I  \^'as  making  this  rough  drawing,  I 
could  not  help  thinking  how  the  force  should 
he  posted,"  said  Major  Lyon,  placing  the  point 
of  his  pencil  on  the  centre  of  the  range  of  hills. 
"  Of  course  I  should  place  the  battery  here." 

"  Of  course,"   added  the  colonel. 

"  That  is  a  self-evident  proposition,"  added 
Major  Bornwood.      "  Go  on,   ]\Iajor." 

"  I  should  post  Captain  Ripley's  company  in 
the  woods  at  the  east  of  the  pond,"  continued 
Deck,    pointing  to   the   position   with   his   pencil. 

"  All  right  so  far,"  replied  the  colonel.  "  You 
have  eleven  companies  more ;    go  on.   Major." 

"  I  should  post  the  battalion  of  the  senior 
major  at  the  north  end  of  the  pond,"  replied 
Deck,  watching  the  expression  of  his  father  and 
the  staff-officer. 


194  AT  THE   FRONT 

"  Go  on,"  said  Colonel  Lyon. 

"  I  should  put  the  battalion  of  the  second 
major  on  the  right,  and  of  the  junior  major  on 
the  left,  of  the  battery,  both  concealed  by  the 
range   of  hills,"    Deck  proceeded. 

"  But  these  positions  mean  nothing  at  all  till 
we  know  how  the  action  is  to  be  fought.  Major 
Lyon.  You  not  only  conceal  nearly  the  whole 
force  on  the  field,  but  you  conceal  your  mean- 
ing. You  have  clearly  marked  out  how  you 
would  fight  the  battle,  but  I  may  not  ajDprove 
your  plan.  You  must  therefore  indicate  how 
you  would  conduct  the  affair." 

"  I  will  do  so ;  and  I  shall  not  be  at  all  sensi- 
tive if  my  method  is  condemned  and  rejected," 
replied  Deck  very  good-naturedly.  "  My  plan 
is  to  include  a  surprise.  The  first  battalion  is  to 
attack  the  enemy  when  the  assembly  is  blown. 
The  attack  is  not  to  be  a  charge,  for  the  bat- 
talion will  advance,  and  fire  a  volley  from  their 
carbines  into  the  enemy.  Then  it  will  fall  back, 
retreating  at  a  gallop.  Of  course  they  Avill  be 
pursued,  and  wlien  they  come  to  a  point  be- 
tween the   battery  and   the  northern   part  of  the 


THE    OPENING    OF    THE   ENGAGEMENT        105 

j)oiid,  the  artillery  is  to  open  upon  them  with 
canister  or  shell,  as  the  colonel  may  determine. 
At  the  same  time,  the  riflemen  will  open  fire. 
The  enemy  will  certainly  be  shaken  by  the  rifle- 
balls  and  the  canister;  then  the  battery  will 
cease  firing,  and  the  battalions  on  the  right  and 
left,  and  the  one  in  front,  will  charge.  That  is 
as  far  as  I  have  gone." 

"  I  have  no  fault  to  find  with  this  plan,  though 
it  is  nothing  more  than  the  opening  of  the  engage- 
ment," said  the  colonel  when  the  major  paused. 

"  That  is  all  I  intended  it  to  be,"  replied  Deck. 
"Nothing  more  can  be  arranged  till  we  see  the 
result  of  the  opening.  Of  that,  of  course,  I  can 
say  nothing." 

"  So  far  I  think  the  plan  is  excellent,"  said 
Major  Bornwood.  "  It  indicates  neither  victory 
nor  defeat;  and,  as  Major  Lyon  suggests,  the 
colonel  has  to  fight  the  battle  after  the  prelimi- 
nary steps  have  been  taken." 

"  We  have  no  tiine  to  lose  in  carrying  out  this 
plan,"  continued  the  colonel,  as  he  moved  to  the 
door.  "  I  have  ordered  Lieutenant  INIilton  to 
conduct  the  force   to   the    brook    before  you    get 


196  AT    THE    FRONT 

to  Grundy,  and  halt  there.  Now  we  must  hurry 
forward,  and  post  the  force." 

The  horses  of  all  the  officers  who  had  dis- 
mounted M'ere  in  front  of  the  post-office,  and 
Deck  found  Ceph  there  among  them ;  and  the 
other  scouts  had  also  obtained  their  steeds.  The 
field-officers  galloped  to  the  brook,  and  came  to 
the  head  of  the  column.  The  batteiy  was  directed 
to  follow  the  stream,  and  Deck  was  sent  forward 
to  assist  in  placing  the  guns.  He  and  jNIajor 
Batterson  rode  ahead  of  the  column  in  silence ; 
for  all  the  officers  had  been  ordered  to  allow  no 
noise  of  any  kind,  and  the  road  was  too  far  from 
the  enemy  to  permit  the  sound  of  the  horses' 
feet  to  be  heard.  The  battery  passed  over  grass 
ground,  though  there  was  something  like  a  wagon- 
track  on  the  border  of  the  stream.  All  the  com- 
panies moved  with  the  greatest  caution. 

"  You  must  haul  your  guns  up  the  hill  by  hand, 
Major  Batterson,"  said  Deck  when  he  reached  the 
path  to  the  summit  of  the  elevation. 

"  That  can  easily  l)e  done,"  replied  the  comman- 
der of  the  battery ;  and  he  proceeded  to  instruct 
his  lieutenants  to  prepare  for  the  movement. 


THE   OPENING   OF   THE   ENGAGEMENT        197 

The  two  officers  went  to  the  top  of  the  eleva- 
tion, where  they  could  see  the  camp  of  the  sleep- 
ing foe.  Then  the  artillerist  selected  the  positions 
for  his  six  guns,  and  planted  them  behind  the 
ridges  of  the  hill,  where  they  commanded  the  en- 
tire triangle  beneath  them.  ]Major  Lyon  hurried 
back  to  the  road,  where  his  battalion  was  waiting 
for  him.  The  colonel  was  so  well  informed  in 
regard  to  the  field  from  the  sketch  of  his  son, 
that  he  had  sent  Captain  Ripley's  company  of 
riflemen  to  the  position  assigned  to  them,  and 
ordered  the  second  and  junior  majors,  with  their 
battalions,  to  their  places  on  the  right  and  left 
of  the  battery;  and  they  all  moved  so  that  no 
sound  could  be  heard  from  them  in  the  field 
between  the  two  streams  where  the  army  was 
encamped.  Deck  ordered  his  battalion  to  march 
slowly  and  in  silence.  Fortunately  the  road  was 
nothing  more  than  a  reddish  loam,  Avithout  a  stone 
for  the  iron  hoofs  to  strike  upon.  At  the  upper 
end  of  the  pond  he  fell  back  from  the  road  into 
the  Avoods ;  and  no  one  in  the  enemy's  lines  could 
have  suspected  the  presence  of  a  Union  force  so 
near. 


198  AT    THE    FRONT 

It  was  now  daylight;  and  the  assembly  was 
blown  in  the  Confederate  camp,  and  the  soldiers 
were  performing  their  morning  duties.  In  a  low 
tone  of  voice  Major  Lyon  explained  to  the  four 
captains  of  his  battalion,  whom  he  had  called  to- 
gether, the  manner  in  which  the  engagement  was 
to  be  opened.  This  portion  of  the  regiment  had 
been  thoroughly  drilled,  and  the  captains  had  the 
men  under  perfect  control ;  and  this  was  even 
true  of  Artie  Lyon's  company,  though  it  was  one 
which  had  just  been  mustered  in.  The  riflemen 
had  placed  themselves  at  the  trees  which  were  to 
cover  them  in  case  of  need.  The  battalion  was 
formed  in  column  of  fours,  and  Deck  had  placed 
himself  in  front  of  it ;  for  he  intended  to  lead  in 
pei-son.  The  horses  had  been  somewhat  rested 
after  their  march  from  Liberty,  and  there  were  no 
signs  of  fatigue  among  the  men. 

"  Battalion,  forward !  March !  Gallop!  "  shouted 
the  major,  no  longer  careful  about  his  voice. 

The  captains  repeated  the  order,  and  Deck 
dashed  at  full  gallop  towards  the  point  where  he 
had  decided  to  cross  the  stream  near  the  foot  of 
the  pond.     There  were   no  laggards  behind  him. 


THE    OPENING    OF    THE   ENGAGEMENT        109 

and  all  tlie  men  came  up  in  proper  order.  The 
stream  was  shallow ;  but  Ceph  made  a  flying  leap, 
and  came  down  in  the  middle  of  it.  He  was 
closely  followed  by  Captain  Abbey,  and  the  rest 
of  the  companies,  though  none  of  them  imitated 
the  leap  of  the  major's  horse.  All  the  horses 
went  into  the  stream  without  any  difficulty,  and 
scrambled  out  on  the  other  side.  Deck  saw  that 
it  was  roll-call  in  the  enemy's  line.  He  wheeled 
to  the  left  when  he  had  crossed  the  water,  and  the 
column  followed  him.  Then  he  wheeled  to  the 
right  when  within  short  musket-shot  of  the  enemy, 
and  continued  at  his  mad  gallop  across  the  tri- 
angle. 

"  Battalion,  halt !  "  shouted  the  intrepid  leader. 

Then  he  brought  the  companies  into  line,  and 
the  captains  gave  the  order  to  fire.  The  troopers 
along  the  line  discharged  their  volleys,  and  quite 
a  number  of  the  enemy  were  seen  to  fall. 

"  In  column  of  fours !  "  commanded  the  major. 
"  March  !    Gallop  !  " 

The  leader  led  them  back  to  the  woods  from 
which  they  had  come  at  the  best  speed  of  the 
horses.      The  enemy  seemed  to  be  paralyzed  by 


200  AT   THE   FRONT 

this  sudden  exhibition  of  force  in  front  of  them, 
but  they  had  not  a  musket  loaded  to  return  the 
fire.  The  battalion  had  no  sooner  come  out  of  the 
water,  and  passed  to  the  shelter  of  the  trees,  than 
from  one  gun  after  another  the  battery  rained 
upon  the  shaken  Confederates  six  showers  of  can- 
ister. The  enemy  were  certainly  surprised,  and 
they  stared  at  the  Buck  Hills  with  absolute  as- 
tonishment. Many  of  them  fell  from  the  effects 
of  the  canister ;  but  before  they  could  come  to 
their  bearings,  the  riflemen  began  to  put  in  their 
work,  and  the  men  fell  in  great  numbers. 

Colonel  hjon  had  placed  himself  on  the  high- 
est hill  of  the  range,  where  he  could  see  the  entire 
field.  There  was  confusion  in  the  camp,  but  the 
officers  soon  rallied  them  in  voices  of  thunder. 
The  men  were  mounted,  and  ready  for  fight. 

They  wei*e  brave  men,  none  braver  ever  trod 
the  battlefield ;  and  the  wonder  was,  not  that  they 
had  been  thrown  into  confusion  by  the  sudden- 
ness of  the  attack  and  the  numl^er  of  men  in 
their  ranks  who  had  fallen,  but  that  their  officers 
had  the  power  to  rally  them,  and  bring  order 
out  of  the  panic  that  had  been  created.     Colonel 


THE    OPENING    OF    THE   ENGAGEMENT        201 

Lyon  and  Major  Bornwood  declared  that  the 
opening  was  a  perfect  success.  But  the  battle 
in  detail  was  yet  to  be  fought.  The  enemy  had 
by  this  time  come  to  understand  where  at  least 
some  of  the  assailants  were  located.  They  could 
not  comprehend  why  the  force  that  had  assailed 
them  in  front  had  so  hastily  retreated ;  for  they 
seemed  to  be  in  perfect  order,  and  in  condition 
to  do  some  heavy  fighting.  Deck  had  planned 
the  first  act  of  the  engagement,  and  he  had  no 
idea  of  charging  into  a  force  of  at  least  three 
times  his  own  number.  He  was  prudent,  what- 
ever might  have  been  said  about  him. 

The  enemy  were  ready  to  fight.  They  were 
veterans,  and  were  used  to  it ;  but  there  was  no 
enemy  within  their  reach.  Their  commander  was 
evidently  thinking  of  charging  on  the  battery 
which  had  made  such  havoc  in  his  ranks ;  for 
Milton  had  seen  him  talking  with  another  officer, 
and  pointing  at  the  summit  of  the  liills.  Then 
he  had  seen  him  indicating  with  his  sword  the 
upper  end  of  the  pond  where  Deck's  battalion 
had  crossed  and  disappeared.  Colonel  Lyon  had 
seen  all   this  with  his  e'lass.      Then  he  o^ave  an 


202  AT    THE   FRONT 

order  to  Major  Batterson  to  open  upon  the  en- 
emy with  shell,  and  the  guns  were  already  loaded 
for  this  purpose. 

One  shell  was  first  thrown  into  the  camp ;  and 
it  produced  even  more  confusion  than  the  can- 
ister, or  than  they  had  caused  at  Columbia. 
At  the  same  time  the  riflemen  did  not  intermit 
their  fire  for  a  moment.  Officers  and  men  were 
dropping  out  of  their  saddles,  and  the  first  detail 
of  the  action  had  become  a  slaughter.  The  colo- 
nel was  sick  of  it;  and  it  was  a  relief  to  him 
when  he  saw  the  two  regiments  of  the  foe  formed, 
and  march  over  the  field  in  the  direction  of  the 
place  where  the  battalion  of  the  senior  major  was 
posted.  Doubtless  the  colonel  in  command  real- 
ized that  the  sharpshooters  were  concealed  in  the 
woods  with  the  force  which  had  opened  the  con- 
flict. He  saw  the  necessity  of  dislodging  the 
enemy  on  that  side  of  the  field. 


SOME   DETAILS    OP    THE    BATTLE  203 


CHAPTER   XV 

SOME    DETAILS    OF    THE    BATTLE 

The  regiments  of  the  enemy  were  formed  in 
good  order,  and  both  officers  and  privates  were 
as  steady  as  though  they  had  not  been  under  a 
most  destructive  fire  from  the  battery  and  the 
riflemen  for  the  last  twenty  minutes.  The  nat- 
ural breastwork  which  sheltered  the  artillery, 
placed  at  irregular  distances  where  the  shape  of 
the  hills  afforded  covering  for  the  guns,  did  not 
appear  to  tempt  the  commander  to  make  an  at- 
tack in  that  direction.  Buck  Creek  on  this  side 
of  the  camp  was  a  considerable  stream,  wider  and 
deeper,  Milton  had  informed  his  fellow-scouts, 
than  at  many  points  below  the  Somerset  road. 

The  enemy  could  not  be  aware  that  seven  hun- 
dred men  were  ready  to  defend  the  ascent  of  the 
slope ;  for  the  two  battalions  of  Majors  Belthorpe 
and  Truman  were  perfectly  concealed  behind  the 
raffffed  hills.     But  their  commander  realized  that 


204  AT   THE   FRONT 

his  situauon  was  critical,  with  the  six  guns  pour- 
ing shells,  and  the  riflemen  bullets,  into  his  force, 
who  continued  to  fall  around  him ;  and  it  was 
absolutely  necessary  to  do  something  to  save  his 
men,  for  he  could  not  help  seeing  that  the  batr- 
tle  had  already  gone  against  him.  Colonel  Lyon 
was  equally  assured  that  the  Union  force  had 
won  the  day ;  but  he  never  "  gushed,"  and  he 
felt  that  there  was  yet  a  chance  for  the  com- 
mander on  the  other  side  to  redeem  himself,  and 
he  said  nothing.  He  was  fully  occupied  in  study- 
ing the  situation  every  moment  of  the  time. 

"  The  colonel  over  there  is  about  to  make  a 
movement  of  some  kind,"  said  he  while  the  en- 
emy was  forming.  "  I  don't  believe  he  will  ven- 
ture to  attack  on  this  side  of  the  creek." 

"  No ;  he  is  too  wise  to  swim  the  creek,  and 
charge  on  the  breastwork,"  replied  Major  Born- 
wood.  "But  he  has  come  to  his  bearings,  and 
he  will  certainly  do  something.  He  is  a  brave 
and  noble  fellow ;  and,  upon  my  word,  I  feel  sorry 
for  him  personally.  He  has  fallen  into  a  death- 
trap ;  but  I  will  venture  to  say  that  he  will  save 
his  men,  or  about  two-thirds   of  them,  for  he  is 


SOME    DETAILS    OF    THE    BATTLE  205 

full  of  fight,  and  is  a  man  of  expedients.  So 
far,  all  the  avenues  have  been  closed  against 
him." 

"He  can  only  take  what  comes,"  added  the 
colonel. 

"I    wonder    that    he    allowed    himself    te    be 
■  caught  in  such  a  trap,"  suggested  the  major. 

"How  could  he  have  helped  liimself?"  asked 
the  commander. 

"Very  easily;  it  is  plain  enough  now,  as  it 
evidently  was  not  at  any  earlier  time.  He  ought 
to  have  had  scouts  out  on  all  the  roads  around 
here.  But  I  have  no  doubt  he  has  been  doing 
a  great  deal  of  hard  marching  lately;  his  men 
needed  rest,  and  this  seemed  to  be  a  good  place 
to  give  it  to  them." 

"  Probably  the  despatch  you  sent  last  night  had 
something  to  do  with  it."  said  the  colonel. 

"No  doubt  of  it.  I  warrant  Scott  knows  very 
well  what  Union  force  there  is  anywhere  near 
him ;  and  doubtless  he  has  agents  in  this  semi- 
Secession  region,  who  send  him  all  the  informa- 
tion he  needs." 

"  Like  Camden,  the  postmaster  at  Liberty." 


206  AT   THE    FKONT 

"  Yes ;   and  more  active  ones  than  he  is." 

"  But  the  question  just  now  is,  not  how  he 
got  into  this  scrape,  but  how  will  he  get  out 
of  it?  "  continued  the  colonel.  "What  will  he  do 
now?" 

"It  does  not  look  practicable  for  him  to  do 
anything  on  this  side  of  the  field ;  and  the  only 
thing  he  can  do  is  to  attack  Major  Lyon's  battal- 
ion on  the  Rockcastle  road." 

"  That  seems  to  be  the  only  avenue  open  to 
him,  or  rather  the  only  one  tliat  he  can  open. 
And  he  may  turn  the  day  against  us  yet,"  said 
the  colonel,  a  shade  of  anxiety  sweeping  across 
his  face.  "  The  woods  on  the  other  side  of  the 
field,  where  the  senior  major's  battalion  is  located, 
as  well  as  the  riflemen,  appears  to  extend  only 
as  far  as  the  end  of  the  pond,  and  it  looks  like 
an  open  country  beyond  it." 

"  That  is  the  appearance,  and  probably  there 
are  farms  along  those  bottoms  where  there  is 
a  rich  soil,"  added  the  major. 

"Major  Lyon  must  be  re-enforced  at  once,"  said 
the  colonel  very  decidedly.  "  We  have  two 
battalions  here  where  they  are  not  needed ;    and 


SOME    DETAILS    OF    THE    BATTLE  207 

if  there  is  to  be  a  fight  at  all,  it  will  be  in  the 
fields  above  the  woods,  on  the  farther  side  of  that 
brook.  Colonel  Gordon !  "  he  called  to  the  sec- 
ond in  command,   who  sat  on   a  rock  near  him. 

Although  the  lieutenant-colonel  has  been  sel- 
dom mentioned,  he  was  as  active  as  any  other 
officer  in  the  field,  both  in  consultation  and  exe- 
cution. He  promptly  came  at  the  call,  and 
saluted  the  commander. 

"  Can  one  or  both  of  the  second  and  third  bat- 
talions swim  that  creek  at  the  foot  of  the  hill. 
Colonel  Gordon?"  asked  the  commander. 

"  I  have  no  doubt  one  or  both  of  them  can 
do  so,  though  I  have  not  seen  the  creek  except 
from  the  top  of  these  hills,"  replied  Colonel  Gor- 
don. 

"  Order  Truman  and  Belthorpe  to  do  so  at  once, 
leaving  one  company  of  Truman's  command  here. 
Send  them  across  the  field  to  re-enforce  Major 
Lyon,  who  is  likely  soon  to  have  the  whole  force 
of  the  enemy  down  upon  liim  on  the  other  side 
of  the  pond !  "  said  Colonel  Lyon  in  vigorous 
speech. 

"  The   enemy  are   moving !  "   exclaimed  Major 


208  AT   THE   FRONT 

Bornwood,  somewhat  excited  by  the  earnestness 
of  the  colonel,  and  especially  by  his  remark  that 
the  enemy  might  still  win  the  day. 

Colonel  Gordon  hastened  to  execute  the  order. 
He  detailed  the  ninth  company,  under  Captain 
Baron,  to  remain  on  the  hill ;  and  Major  Belthorpe 
started  on  the  cart-path  down  the  hill  to  the  creek 
on  the  instant.  The  two  regiments  of  the  enemy 
had  formed,  and  dashed  off  across  the  triangle 
in  the  direction  of  the  head  of  the  pond.  The 
land  was  a  tobacco-field,  and  was  dry  and  hard. 
Tom  Belthorpe  Avas  rejoiced  to  be  called  into  ac- 
tion, for  he  had  been  as  impatient  as  an  idle  baby 
while  the  battery  and  the  riflemen  were  sending 
the  deadly  bolts  into  the  midst  of  the  enemy. 
As  soon  as  he  obtained  the  order,  which  came  to 
him  while  his  command  was  at  rest  on  the  level 
ground  at  the  side  of  the  brook  which  they  had 
followed  in  reaching  the  locality,  though  he  him- 
self had  been  half-way  up  the  slope  of  the  hill, 
he  dashed  down  the  slope,  formed  his  com- 
mand, and  then  led  them  to  the  path  over  the 
hill,  Avhich  was  rather  difficult  of  passage  for 
horses ;    but  they  reached  the  summit,  and  then 


SOME    DETAILS    OF    THE    BATTLE  209 

went  down  the  rugged  steep  as  rapidly  as  the 
roughness  of  the  way  would  permit.  Major  Bel- 
thorpe  was  ahead  of  his  three  companies ;  for 
the  riflemen  were  in  his  battalion,  and  he  looked 
out  for  the  most  favorable  place  to  swim  the 
river.  There  was  a  tolerably  level  space  fifty  feet 
wide  between  the  hills  and  the  creek,  along  which 
he  rode  till  he  came  to  a  slope  down  to  the  water, 
just  what  the  situation  seemed  to  require. 

The  water  looked  deep  and  dark ;  but  Captain 
Gadsbury,  in  command  of  his  first  company,  was 
a  veteran  in  the  Riverlawn  battalion,  and  had 
often  swum  the  streams  on  the  march,  and  was 
entirely  reliable.  He  was  sure  to  get  his  com- 
mand over  the  creek,  which  was  here  about  a 
hundred  feet  wide  ;  and  the  next  company,  under 
Captain  Barnes,  would  be  likely  to  follow  him. 
If  he  did  not,  Captain  Life  Knox's  company  came 
next,  and  he  would  drive  it  into  the  water.  But 
both  men  and  horses  are  imitative  creatures,  and 
would  do  whatever  they  had  seen  others  do. 
All  the  officers  were  veterans  who  had  been  pro- 
moted from  sergeants  to  lieutenants,  and  had 
seen    a   great   deal    of    service.     Tom    Belthorpe 


210  AT   THE   FRONT 

rode  his  well-trained  steed  across  the  creek  as 
though  he  had  bee)i  swimming  Green  River  for 
the  fun  of  it. 

He  found  a  slope  out  of  the  water  on  the 
other  side,  which  enabled  him  to  come  out  of  the 
stream  without  any  trouble,  though  the  creek 
had  steep  banks  as  a  rule.  Major  Belthorpe 
halted  on  the  bank  as  soon  as  he  came  out  of 
the  water  to  observe  the  passage  of  his  com- 
panies. Captain  Gadsbury  landed  his  men  all 
right.  Captain  Barnes  followed  him  without  any 
hesitation ;  but  the  horses  of  the  men,  which 
had  not  been  trained  to  this  sort  of  duty,  were 
shy.  Lieutenant  Decker,  who  had  been  with  the 
Riverlawns  since  they  were  mustered  in,  made 
himself  very  active  with  the  flat  of  his  sabre  at 
the  buttocks  of  the  restive  animals,  and  drove 
them  into  the  stream.  They  went  over  without 
any  further  difficulty. 

Captain  Life  Knox  came  next;  and  he  had 
swum  deep  streams  with  his  men,  and  their 
horses  made  no  objection  to  crossing  the  creek. 
As  soon  as  the  three  companies  had  landed. 
Major  Belthorpe   formed  them,  and  dashed  over 


SOME    DETAILS    OF    THE    BATTLE  211 

the  plain  at  a  furious  gallop  in  the  direction 
taken  by  the  enemy.  The  three  companies  of 
Major  Truman's  command  were  new  in  the  regi- 
ment; but  the  men  had  nearly  all  seen  service 
in  militia  and  Home  Guards,  and  they  passed 
over  the  stream  without  any  delay.  The  battal- 
ion was  formed  in  the  rear  of  the  second  major's 
command,  and  both  rushed  across  the  field  like 
meteors ;  for  the  majors  understood  that  Deck 
must  soon  be  hard  pressed  by  the  enemy.  They 
had  not  been  informed  in  regard  to  the  situa- 
tion by  their  superior  officers,  who  were  observ- 
ing the  action  from  the  hill  ;  but  they  were 
thinking  men,  and  had  looked  over  the  field  to 
some  extent  by  climbing  the  hills  where  they 
could  see  for  themselves. 

After  "  opening  the  battle,"  Deck,  with  the 
four  companies  of  his  battalion,  had  retreated  to 
the  road  behind  the  pond,  and  formed  his  force 
in  the  road  along  the  upper  part  of  the  pond. 
He  placed  himself  where  he  could  overlook  the 
camp  of  the  enemy,  and  the  tents  were  still 
standing  as  they  were  when  the  battalion  had 
fired    into    the    cavalrymen   in   line    for    roll-call. 


212  AT    THE    FRONT 

While  it  has  taken  a  long  time  to  relate  what 
occurred  on  the  field,  not  more  than  half  an  hour 
had  elapsed  since  the  first  shot  was  fired. 

Major  Lyon  saw  that  the  enemy  w^ere  forming 
for  a  movement;  but  he  could  not  know  whether 
it  was  to  be  an  attack  on  the  natural  breast- 
work, on  his  command,  or  a  retreat  from  the 
field,  and  he  watched  the  field  with  the  most 
intense  interest.  When  the  column  of  two  regi- 
ments had  formed,  though  there  appeared  not 
to  be  more  than  seven  hundred  men  in  each,  as 
Major  Bornwood  had  said,  they  made  a  force  of 
more  than  three  times  the  number  under  Deck's 
command.  It  looked  to  him  then  that  he  was 
called  upon  to  plan  another  engagement  on  his 
side  of  the  field.  It  is  not  strange  that  he  was 
very  anxious;  and  it  occurred  to  him,  as  it  had 
to  his  father  on  the  hill,  that  the  battle  might 
yet  end  in  the  defeat  of  the  Union  arms. 

If  the  brave  and  skilful  colonel  in  command 
of  the  two  regiments  could  overcome  the  first 
battalion,  he  could  soon  clean  out  the  rifle- 
men, and  then  march  hy  the  Somerset  road  to 
Grundy,   follow  the  brook,  and   take  the  battery 


SOME    DETAILS    OF    THE    BATTLE  213 

in  the  rear,  tliough  he  would  have  to  engage  the 
two  battalions  posted  there.  This  was  what 
Major  Lyon  thought  might  possibly  occur ;  and 
perhaps  the  same  idea  was  in  the  mind  of  the 
gallant  Confederate  colonel.  Just  then  Deck  felt 
such  a  responsibility  as  had  never  rested  upon 
him  before.  Such  a  course  of  manoeuvres  would 
bring  the  first  attack  of  the  enemy  upon  his 
command ;  and  if  he  failed  to  repel  it  against 
three  times  his  own  force,  he  felt  that  the  day 
would  certainly  be  lost,  and  the  new  regiment 
be  scattered  to  the  four  winds  of  heaven. 

He  saw  the  enemy  approach  over  the  plain 
with  headlong  speed.  He  was  a  noble  and  Chris- 
tian young  man ;  and  he  looked  up  to  Heaven, 
and  put  up  a  silent  prayer  for  strength  and 
guidance  in  this  hour,  which  he  felt  to  be  the 
most  important  of  his  lifetime.  Then  he  con- 
sidered his  plan,  and  it  was  soon  formed  in  his 
mind.  He  decided  to  meet  the  onslaught  of 
the  host,  as  it  was  comparatively,  as  they  came 
out  of  the  water  in  crossing  the  brook.  He 
wrote  a  hasty  note  to  Captain  Ripley,  ordering 
him  to   move  his  company   up   to   the   border  of 


214  AT   THE   FRONT 

the  poud.  Then  he  marched  his  battalion  down 
to  the  brook,  and  placed  two  companies  at  the 
points  where  he  believed  the  force  aj^proaching 
would  land,  and  ordered  the  captains  to  charge 
upon  the  head  of  the  column  as  it  made  the 
landing. 

During  the  passage  of  the  enemy  across  the 
field  the  battery  had  been  firing  canister,  and 
the  riflemen  had  been  pouring  their  deadly  bul- 
lets into  the  column.  Many  of  them  fell,  killed 
or  wounded,  and  the  column  diminished  in  num- 
bers as  it  advanced.  But  the  brave  colonel  of 
the  force  still  urged  his  men  forward,  though  he 
did  not  expose  himself  to  the  fire  of  the  sharp- 
shooter by  putting  liimself  at  the  head  of  the 
column. 

As  the  head  of  the  line  ajDproached  the  brook, 
the  men  pounded  their  horses  with  the  fiat  sides 
of  their  sabres  till  they  drove  them  into  the 
stream.  It  was  about  fifty  feet  wide  at  the  place 
which  Deck  had  chosen  to  oppose  their  cross- 
ing; for  the  water  was  low,  and  the  banks  were 
high  at  all  other  points  near  the  pond.  The 
riflemen  had  moved  up  to  the  head  of  the  sheet 


SOME    DETAILS    OF    THE    BATTLE  215 

of  water,  and  stationed  themselves  at  the  sides  of 
the  trees,  which  made  a  rest  for  their  weapons, 
rather  than  to  hide  themselves  behind  them. 
They  opened  npon  the  advancing  enemy  with- 
out delay,  and  they  began  to  drop  the  horsemen 
as  they  had  done  several  times  before  whea  in 
the  company  of  the  Riverlawns. 

As  Captain  Abbey  charged  upon  the  head  of 
the  column  while  they  were  still  in  the  water. 
Major  Lyon  discovered  the  battalion  of  Tom 
Belthorpe  flying  across  the  plain  as  though  the 
force  had  not  marched  half  the  night  before. 
Then  the  next  battalion  came  out  of  the  water, 
and  dashed  after  the  first;  and  then  Deck  felt 
that  the  day  would  be  saved.  At  the  same 
time  he  realized  that  his  father,  and  not  him- 
self, was  fighting  the  battle.  The  colonel  had 
early  divined  the  intention  of  the  enemy,  and 
had  sent  the  needed  re-enforcements.  Pie  thanked 
God  that  the  responsibility  had  been  taken  from 
his  shoulders. 

Colonel  Lyon  had  watched  the  advance  of  the 
two  battalions  with  the  most  intense  interest 
and    in    great    anxiety.      He    saw,    with    the    aid 


216  AT   THE   FEONT 

of  his  field-glass,  Deck  on  the  shore,  and  he 
felt  that  the  day  would  be  saved,  as  Deck  had 
felt  almost  at  the  same  moment.  He  thanked 
God  audibly  for  the  change  in  the  situation ; 
but  he  had  hardly  uttered  the  words  before  he 
fell  back  on  the  rocks  with  a  groan.  A  man 
in  a  clump  of  bushes  below  had  fired  at  him, 
and  hit  him  in  the  side  of  the  head. 


MAJOR   BORNWOOD'S   PREDICTION  217 


CHAPTER   XVI 

MAJOR    BORNWOOD's    PREDICTION 

Major  Bornwood  and  Colonel  Gordon  were 
near  the  commander  when  he  fell  over  on  the 
rocks  with  a  groan  which  indicated  that  he  was 
wounded.  Both  of  them  sprang  to  his  assist- 
ance, and  raised  him  from  the  hard  bed  on 
which  he  had  dropped.  Captain  Baron,  in  com- 
mand of  the  company  which  had  been  left 
behind  the  breastwork,  was  near,  while  the  can- 
noneere  were  serving  the  guns,  firing  canister 
into  the  column  of  the  enemy  when  they  could 
do  so  without  peril  to  the  battalion  on  the  farther 
shore  of  the  pond. 

"Where  is  he  wounded?"  asked  Colonel  Gor- 
don, shocked  at  the  calamity;  for  neither  of  the 
officers  had  supposed  the  party  on  the  hill  were 
in  any  danger. 

"In  the  side  of  the  head,  above  the  right  ear," 
replied  Major  Bornwood.     "  Captain  Baron  !  "  he 


218  AT   THE    FRONT 

shouted;  and  this  officer  X)romptly  responded  to 
the  call.  "  Dr.  Farnwright  is  at  the  foot  of  the 
hill ;   bring  him  up  here  as  quick  as  possible." 

"  Is  it  a  bad  wound  ? "  asked  the  second  in 
command. 

"I  don't  know;  I  cannot  tell,"  replied  the 
staff-officer.  "  He  is  insensible,  but  that  does 
not  prove  that  it  is  a  fatal  wound.  But,  Col- 
onel Gordon,  you  are  now  in  command  of  the 
Union  force,  and  you  should  attend  to  the  move- 
ments in  the  field." 

The  colonel,  as  Gordon  may  now  be  called 
without  any  qualification,  who  was  far  from  wish- 
ing to  succeed  to  the  command  under  such  cir- 
cumstances, turned  from  the  wounded  officer,  and 
continued  his  survey  of  the  field.  His  first  order 
was  to  silence  the  guns  of  the  battery ;  for  Major 
Belthorpe  had  nearly  reached  the  centre  of  the 
triangle,  and  the  scattering  missiles  of  the  can- 
ister might  strike  his  force.  With  his  glass 
he  watched  the  assault  of  Major  Lyon's  force 
on  the  head  of  the  enemy's  column,  but  he 
could  not  help  turning  often  for  a  glance  at 
his  wounded  superior. 


MAJOR  bornwood's  predictiox  219 

Dr.  Farnwright  very  soon  appeared,  with  a  sol- 
dier bearing  his  case  of  instruments ;  and  Dr. 
Gwynn,  his  assistant,  soon  followed  him.  The 
regiment  had  hardly  been  exposed  at  all,  and 
the  surgeons  had  not  yet  been  employed.  The 
principal  doctor  hastened  to  the  side  of  -  the 
wounded  commander,  attended  by  his  associate. 
He  had  been  with  the  Riverlawns  since  it  was 
organized  as  a  battalion,  and  had  always  been 
very  intimate  with  the  commander.  He  was 
deeply  interested  in  the  case  before  him. 

"  How  did  this  happen,  Major  Bornwood  ? " 
asked  the  surgeon.  •'  The  breastwork  has  not 
been  attacked." 

"  The  enemy  left  a  small  force  in  charge  of 
the  camp,  and  the  men  seem  to  be  doing  some 
of  the  fighting  on  their  own  account;  for  I  dis- 
covered one  of  them  in  that  clump  of  bushes 
on  the  other  side  of  the  creek  with  a  rifle  in 
his  hands.  That  was  where  the  shot  came  from," 
replied  the  major.  "  I  think  we  must  first  move 
your  patient  to  some  safer  place ;  for  the  rest 
of  the  camp-guard  may  try  to  do  something 
more  for  their  cause." 


220  AT   THE   FRONT 

The  surgeon  and  liis  assistant  conveyed  the 
wounded  officer  to  a  knoll  sheltered  by  the 
higher  summits  of  the  hills,  where  there  was  a 
patch  of  grass.  Major  Batterson  brought  several 
blankets  he  had  taken  from  the  heap  of  knap- 
sacks, and  a  bed  was  made  for  the  patient. 
Dr.  Farnwright,  with  the  aid  of  his  assistant,  ex- 
amined the  wound  of  the  colonel  as  soon  as 
he  had  been  placed  on  the  blankets.  The  other 
officers  stood  around  the  knoll,  anxiously  wait- 
ing the  verdict  of  the  surgeon.  A  profusion  of 
blood  was  flowing  from  the  wound,  which  the 
assistant  wiped  away,  and  the  nature  of  the 
injury  was  disclosed. 

"  Not  a  very  bad  wound,"  said  Dr.  Farnwright, 
to  the  great  relief  of  the  officers  around  him. 

"But  he  is  still  insensible,"  suggested  the  staff- 
officer. 

"  Stunned  by  the  shock ;  but  I  cannot  tell  yet 
the  extent  of  the  injury.  I  can  assure  you,  how- 
ever, that  it  is  not  a  fatal  wound,  though  he  may 
not  be  fit  for  duty  for  a  couple  of  weeks,"  said  the 
surgeon,  as  he  continued  his  examination. 

Colonel  Gordon  had  placed  himself  in  a  secure 


MAJOR   BORNWOOD'S   PREDICTION  221 

position,  and  was  observing  the  progress  of  the 
engagement  at  the  brook  on  the  other  side  of  the 
field.  Major  Bornwood  soon  joined  him,  and 
gave  him  the  verdict  of  the  surgeon,  which  was  a 
great  relief  to  him,  though  it  made  him  feel  more 
intensely  the  weight  of  responsibility  resting  upon 
him  after  his  superior  was  disabled. 

"  I  am  glad  it  is  no  worse,"  replied  the  colonel, 
when  the  staff-officer  had  reported  upon  the  con- 
dition of  the  commander. 

"The  surgeon  is  not  yet  fully  informed  as  to 
the  condition  of  liis  patient,  and  it  may  be  more 
serious  than  he  now  supposes.  But  how  goes  the 
battle,  Colonel  ?  " 

"  Major  Lyon  is  following  up  his,  attack  upon 
the  head  of  the  enemy's  column,  and  they  are 
fighting  in  the  water,"  replied  Colonel  Gordon ; 
but  the  major  could  see  that  he  was  very  uneasy 
about  something. 

"  The  fighting  is  now,  and  is  likely  to  be  to  the 
end  of  it,  on  the  other  side  of  the  field ;  and  this 
is  no  place  for  me,  though  the  major  is  doing  very 
well,  as  he  always  does.  He  has  evidently  moved 
the  riflemen  up  to  the  pond,  and  they  are  plainly 


222  AT   THE  FRONT 

doing  good  service ;  for  I  see  the  enemy  on  this 
side  of  the  stream  dropping  from  their  saddles. 
This  is  no  place  for  me  under  present  circum- 
stances, and  I  am  going  over  there,"  said  the  colo- 
nel, rising  from  the  place  where  he  had  crouched 
V  behind  a  rock  to  shelter  liis  body  from  the  fire  of 
the  camp-guard  on  the  other  side  of  the  creek. 

"That  is  the  proper  thing  for  you  to  do.  I 
think  you  need  not  be  disturbed  by  the  condition 
of  Colonel  Lyon,"  added  the  major.  "  You  would 
better  send  half  a  dozen  riflemen  up  here  to  dis- 
pose of  the  men  who  are  trying  to  pick  us  off 
whenever  they  can  see  a  head." 

"  I  will  do  so ;  and  as  Captain  Baron's  company 
is  not  needed  here,  I  will  take  him  and  his  men 
with  me,"  added  the  colonel,  as  he  hastened  from 
the  place  where  he  had  observed  the  fighting. 
"  If  there  is  an  attack  on  the  breastwork,  which  I 
do  not  expect,  I  shall  order  Major  Batterson  to 
fire  three  of  liis  guns  in  rapid  succession,  and  I 
will  be  here  with  a  force  to  support  the  batteiy." 

"Banks,"  he  called  to  Colonel  Lyon's  orderly, 
"get  my  horse  ready  for  me  at  the  foot  of  the 
hill." 


MAJOR    BORN  WOOD  S    PREDICTION  'SSd 

He  paused  a  moment  to  ascertain  the  condition 
of  the  commander,  but  the  surgeon  said  there  was 
no  change  for  the  better  or  the  worse.  Then  he 
gave  his  orders  to  the  commander  of  the  battery, 
and  ran  down  the  hill,  where  he  mounted  his 
horse,  and  then  ordered  Captain  Baron  to  move 
his  command  to  the  pond  on  the  other  side  of  the 
held.  The  company  was  mounted,  and  ready  to 
move  at  a  moment's  notice ;  and  the  captain,  with 
his  command,  followed  him  at  a  gallop. 

Major  Lyon  was  following  up  his  charge  upon 
the  column  of  the  enemy,  and  had  taken  them 
into  the  water,  where  a  hand-to-hand  fight  was  in 
progress,  and  Captain  Abbey's  company  was  more 
than  holding  its  own.  But  Deck  did  not  expect 
this  condition  to  last  more  than  a  few  minutes ;  for 
there  were  at  least  six  hundred  of  the  enemy  on 
the  field  in  the  rear  of  the  company  he  had  en- 
gaged. He  sat  on  his  horse  at  the  head  of  the 
pond,  and  observed  the  entire  field.  The  colonel 
commanding  the  enemy  was  not  far  from  the 
actual  fighting,  and  he  could  not  help  seeing  that 
the  company  engaged  were  making  no  headway. 
Captain  Ripley  said  afterwards  that  he  had  done 


224  AT   THE   FEONT 

his  best  to  bring  him  down ;  but  ]ie  was  different 
from  all  the  other  officers  he  had  ever  seen :  he 
appeared  to  have  a  charmed  life,  and  he  wondered 
if  he  did  not  wear  armor  under  his  uniform. 

He  did  not  long  remain  inactive  while  his 
company  in  the  water  were  struggling  fiercely  to 
make  a  landing ;  for  a  whole  battalion,  though 
it  was  small  in  numbers,  galloped  from  the  main 
body  to  a  point  on  the  brook  a  mile  higher  up. 

The  banks  of  the  stream  were  high,  with  the 
exception  of  the  portion  where  Deck  had  crossed 
when  he  opened  the  engagement,  and  where  the 
fighting  was  now  going  on;  for  here  the  w^ater  was 
beginning  to  spread  out  in  forming  the  pond. 
Doubtless  there  were  places  higher  up  where  the 
stream  could  be  more  readily  crossed,  though  it 
was  evident  that  the  horses  of  the  Confederates 
had  not  been  so  well  trained  as  those  of  the  com- 
pany engaged.  Major  Lyon  was  prepared  for  this 
movement.  The  engagement  had  proceeded  so 
far  when  Colonel  Gordon  dashed  upon  the  ground, 
followed  by  Captain  Baron's  company. 

"Are  you  all  right,  Major  Lyon?"  asked  the 
colonel. 


MAJOR   BORNWOOD's    PREDICTION  225 

"All  right  so  far,  but  a  prompt  movement  is 
necessary  now,  for  you  can  see  that  the  enemy 
are  marching  north  to  find  a  ford ;  and  I  was 
about  to  send  four  companies  up  the  Rockcastle 
road,  to  prevent  that  battalion  from  crossing  if 
possible,"  replied  Deck. 

"  Name  the  companies,  and  I  will  send  them," 
said  Colonel  Gordon  in  hurried  speech. 

"  Captain  Blenk's,  Richland's,  Artie  Lyon's,  and 
Life  Knox's.  The  first  three  of  them  are  in  my 
battalion;  and  I  will  go  with  them,  if  you  Avill 
order  Major  Truman  to  send  Captain  Knox's  com- 
pany." 

The  junior  major  was  at  hand,  and  the  order 
was  given  instantly ;  and  in  another  minute  the 
seventh  company  was  on  the  road,  following  the 
three  companies  of  the  senior  major. 

"  I  am  sorry  to  inform  you,  Major  Lyon,  that 
I  am  now  in  command  of  the  Union  force  ;  for 
Colonel  hjon  has  unfortunately  been  wounded  in 
the  head,  though  Dr.  Farnwright  does  not  regard 
the  injury  as  very  severe,"  added  Colonel  Gor- 
don, as  Deck  was  about  to  hurry  off  after  his 
command. 


226  AT    THE    FllONT 

"  My  father  wounded !  "  exclaimed  the  major, 
with  something  like  a  groan. 

"  I  am  sorry  for  it,  Deck ;  but  life  and  death 
are  the  same  here,  and  we  must  do  our  duty. 
Your  father  may  be  out  in  a  week  or  two,  the 
doctor  thinks,"  replied  the  colonel  in  soothing 
tones. 

"  I  will  try  to  do  my  dut}^  whatever  comes," 
said  the  intrepid  young  major,  as  he  started  Ceph 
at  a  gallop,  and  increased  his  speed  till  he  came 
up  with  and  passed  Life  Knox. 

"  Father  has  been  wounded,  but  not  badly," 
said  he,  without  reducing  the  speed  of  his  horse. 
He  passed  the  other  companies ;  for  Ceph  was  a 
blood  animal,  and  could  have  earned  thousands  in 
the  races  if  his  owner  would  have  permitted  such 
a  use  to  be  made  of  him.  And  he  had  been  of- 
fered a  very  large  jirice  for  him ;  but  he  was 
Deck's  steed  from  his  ponyhood,  and  the  colonel 
would  not  sell  him  at  any  price. 

He  soon  reached  the  head  of  the  column;  and 
then  he  reined  in  to  make  a  more  deliberate  ex- 
amination of  the  region,  where  he  had  not  been 
before,  and  of  the  movements  of  the  enemy.    All 


MAJOR    BORNWOOD's   PREDICTION  227 

the  horses  of  the  battalion  were  Kentucky  ani- 
mals, and  it  was  plain  enough  that  they  were 
superior  to  those  of  the  Confederate  cavalry. 
The  road  was  good,  and  the  companies  had  made 
a  very  rapid  march.  A  little  later  they  came  up 
with  the  right  of  the  enemy's  column  oi*  the 
other  side  of  the  stream;  and  then  Deck  halted 
his  command,  and  proceeded  to  watch  the  enemy. 

The  captain  of  the  Confederate  company  in 
the  water  below  appeared  to  have  lost  nearly 
half  his  men  under  the  fire  of  the  riflemen,  whom 
Captain  Ripley  had  stimulated  to  the  highest 
state  of  activity.  They  were  near  enough  to  pick 
off  their  victims  without  endangering  the  Union 
men.  Their  captain  had  soon  fallen,  as  had  one 
of  the  lieutenants ;  the  other  had  been  killed 
before  on  the  field.  It  was  simply  slaughter;  and 
the  company  retired  from  the  stream,  under  the 
command  of  the  first  sergeant.  The  battle  in 
this  part  of  the  field  had  suddenly  come  to  an 
end. 

The  remnant  of  the  company  fell  back  upon 
the  main  body;  and  then  the  invulnerable  colonel 
gave  a  new  order,  for  the  entire  force  moved  to 


228.  AT   THE   FEONT 

the  north.  Colonel  Gordon  immediately  sent  Ma- 
jor Truman's  battalion,  with  the  riflemen,  on  the 
road  after  the  other  force  that  had  gone  in  that 
direction ;  and  it  was  evident  that  the  remainder 
of  the  engagement  would  be  fought  out  farther  up 
the  stream.  At  this  point  Major  Bornwood  came 
to  the  place  where  the  colonel  was  observing  the 
field. 

"How  is  Colonel  Lyon?"  was  the  first  ques- 
tion of  Colonel  Gordon. 

"  He  was  still  unconscious  when  I  left  the 
hill ;  but  the  doctor  thinks  he  will  come  out  of 
it  in  a  week  or  two,  and  he  has  no  fears  for  his 
like  at  present,"  replied  the  staff-officer.  "  If  I 
had  been  in  command,  I  should  have  sent  the 
battery  over  here." 

"I  was  just  thinking  of  sending  for  it,  and  I 
will  do  so  at  once,"  said  the  colonel,  as  he  wrote 
a  note  with  a  pencil,  and  sent  it  to  Major  Bat- 
terson.  "  The  riflemen  have  proved  to  be  one 
of  the  most  effective  arms  to-day ;  and  they  are 
acting  now  as  mounted  men.  I  see  that  they 
have  already  begun  to  put  in  more  of  their  work 
on  the  road." 


MAJOR    BOENWOOD's    PREDICTION  229 

"  What  force  have  you  sent  to  the  north,  Colo- 
nel?" asked  the  major. 

"  The  entire  regiment ;  and  when  the  battery 
arrives,  the  whole  force  will  be  on  this  side  of 
the  field." 

"  Just  before  I  left  I  received  a  despatch  from 
General  Buell,  ordering  your  command  to  Bark- 
ville,  where  I  believe  you  have  already  had  some 
experience,"  said  the  staff-officer,  presenting  the 
message  to  Colonel  Gordon.  "I  think  you  have 
come  to  about  the  end  of  this  affair,  and  you 
will  be  ready  to  march  this  afternoon." 

"We  have  not  yet  reached  the  end  of  this 
engagement,"  replied  the  colonel  with  a  smile. 

"  But  you  are  very  near  it.  I  don't  like  to 
predict ;  but  I  am  of  the  opinion  that  the  enemy 
will  retreat  to  the  north,  and  may  not  even  at- 
tempt to  save  their  camp  equipage." 

"I  am  afraid  you  are  rather  sanguine.  Ma- 
jor." 

They  looked  the  field  over  for  some  minutes, 
and  somewhat  later  the  battery  came  thundering 
along  the  road  at  full  gallop. 


230  AT   THE    FRONT 


CHAPTER   XVII 

THE    FINAL    RETREAT    OF    THE   ENFMY 

The  horses  of  the  battery  were  covered  with 
lather  and  perspiration  when  the  command  halted 
for  orders  before  the  colonel.  They  had  come  at 
a  furious  gallop  all  the  way  from  the  hills ;  and 
the  distance  was  all  of  seven  miles,  which  they 
must  have  accomplished  in  about  half  an  hour. 
Major  Batterson  saw  that  if  he  was  to  be  of  any 
service  at  all  on  the  other  side  of  the  triangle, 
he  must  move  at  breakneck  speed,  and  he  had 
done  so. 

"  Hurry  to  the  head  of  the  pond,  then  follow 
the  road,  and  as  soon  as  you  can  find  a  chance 
use  your  guns  for  all  they  are  worth,"  said  Colo- 
nel Gordon. 

The  horses  had  hardly  time  to  breathe  before 
they  were  again  pushed  to  a  gallop  up  the  road 
taken  by  all  the  rest  of  the  force.  The  Confed- 
erate  column  was  still   advancing  to  the  north; 


THE    FINAL    RETREAT   OF    THE    ENEMY        231 

and  the  head  of  it  appeared  to  have  reached  the 
stream,  and  the  leading  company  had  taken  to 
the  water.  The  colonel  had  followed  the  bat- 
tery, for  there  was  nothing  for  him  to  do  at  the 
head  of  the  pond.  He  soon  obtained  a  position 
where  he  could  overlook  the  scene  of  operation 
by  riding  to  the  top  of  a  small  hill  on  the  right 
of  the  road.  As  the  commander  of  the  enemy 
had  concluded,  he  believed  that  plenty  of  fords 
would  be  found  higher  up.  He  had  passed  most 
of  the  companies,  and  the  summit  of  the  hill  he 
had  ascended  was  not  more  than  fifty  rods  below 
the  head  of  the  enemy's  column,  the  leading  com- 
pany of  which  had  taken  to  the  water,  and  Cap- 
tain Blenks  had  been  sent  to  clinch  with  it  in  a 
moist  charge. 

The  riflemen,  no  longer  seeking  the  cover  of 
the  trees,  sat  upon  their  horses,  where  they  could 
take  deliberate  aim  as  long  as  the  animals  were 
at  rest.  Major  Batterson  had  chosen  his  position 
well,  and  unlimbered  his  guns  about  half-way 
between  the  colonel  on  the  hill  and  the  com- 
panies in  the  brook ;  though  it  was  large  enough 
to  entitle  it  to   the  name  of  a  creek,   or   farther 


232  '  AT   THE   FRONT 

north  a  river.  The  cannoneers  worked  in  hot 
haste,  and  presently  the  column  in  the  field  was 
staggered  with  half  a  dozen  shells  pitched  into 
their  midst.  The  major  in  command  of  the  bat- 
tery seemed  to  be  an  expert  in  handling  his  fuses ; 
for  the  shells  exploded  just  over  the  heads  of  the 
cavalrymen,  scattering  their  missiles  around  them 
with  the  most  destructive  venom. 

A  second  company  had  found  a  practicable  ford 
farther  up  the  stream ;  and  the  horses  plunged 
into  the  water,  only  to  be  borne  down  by  the 
giants  of  Captain  Life  Knox's  company,  with  the 
tall  Kentuckian  at  the  head  of  them,  where  he 
always  was  in  a  conflict.  The  Confederates 
turned  their  horses  under  this  onslaught,  and  he 
pursued  them.  The  enemy  were  pygmies  in  the 
presence  of  the  Kentuckians,  and  they  fled  at 
the  first  charge  on  the  shore.  Major  Lyon  or- 
dered the  bugler  to  sound  the  recall,  which  Life 
obeyed  with  evident  reluctance.  His  men  had 
not  been  in  a  fight  that  day,  and  had  just  got 
warmed  up  to  it,  he  explained  to  Deck,  when 
the  bugle  sounded.  He  insisted  that  he  should 
have  used  that  company  up  in  five  minutes  more; 


THE  FINAL  RETREAT  OF  THE  ENEMY   233 

but  the  major  suggested  that  he  might  have  had 
a  whole  battalion  down  upon  him  before  the  job 
was  completed. 

The  company  upon  which  Captain  Knox  had 
charged  in  the  water,  perhaps  moved  by  the  e'^- 
ample  of  the  other,  soon  turned,  and  made  their 
way  out  of  the  water.  They  were  not  as  am- 
phibious as  the  Riverhiwns.  The  main  body  of 
the  enemy  had  been  thro^vn  into  confusion  by 
the  rapid  firing  of  the  battery,  and  a  panic  had 
taken  possession  of  them.  Some  of  the  compa- 
nies broke  from  the  column,  and  galloped  to  the 
other  side  of  the  triangle.  They  were  brave 
men,  and  could  stand  up  firmly  before  a  charge 
on  dry  land,  but  they  had  no  amphibious  ten- 
dencies. Major  Bornwood  soon  joined  the  colo- 
nel on  the  hill ;  for  he  had  moved  more  leisurely 
from  the  head  of  the  pond. 

"  It  looks  as  though  your  prediction  had  al- 
ready been  accomplished,"  said  the  colonel,  as 
the  staff-officer  reined  in  his  horse  at  his  side. 

"  Sooner  than  I  expected,  Colonel ;  you  have 
had  all  the  advantage  on  your  side,"  added  the 
major,  as  he  took  out  his  watch.     "  We  reached 


234  AT   THE   FRONT 

the  Buck  Hill  Creek  at  about  five  this  morning, 
and  it  is  now  only  half-past  eight.  You  have 
made  quick  work  of  it.  But  the  best  officers 
and  the  best  soldiers  in  the  Confederate  army 
could  have  done  no  better  with  all  the  advan- 
tage against  them.  In  fact,  it  has  been  little 
better  than  a  slaughter." 

"  But  the  enemy  outnumbers  our  force,"  sug- 
gested Colonel  Gordon. 

"  Not  by  more  than  a  hundred  men,  or,  at 
most,  two  hundred.  In  the  first  place,  the  enemy 
was  surprised,  and  that  was  as  good  as  five 
hundred  men  in   your  favor." 

"  Perhaps  it  was,"  the  colonel  partly  ac- 
quiesced. 

"  Then  with  the  artillery  on  the  hill,  and  the 
riflemen  in  the  woods,  the  enemy  was  in  a  ter- 
rible  trap,"   added  the   major. 

"  Why  didn't  they  charge  the  riflemen,  and 
drive  them  out  of  the  woods  ?  "  demanded  Colo- 
nel Gordon,  thinking  what  he  should  have  done 
if  he  had  been  in  command  on  the  field. 

"  Because  Major  Batterson's  guns  threw  them 
into  a  panic  when   he   opened  upon  them." 


THE    FINAL   IlETREAT    OF    THE    ENEMY        '285 

"  I  think  I  could  have  brought  my  men  out 
of  the  panic  if  I  had  been  in  command  of  one  of 
those  companies,"  replied  the  colonel.  "Then  if 
he  had  charged  into  the  woods,  the  major  would 
have  been  compelled  to  cease  using  his  guns,  to 
save  the  riflemen  from  injur3%'* 

"  But  the  brook,  which  is  almost  equal  in  vol- 
ume to  the  creek  on  the  other  side  of  the  field, 
was  in  front  of  them,"  said  the  major. 

"  The  stream  was  of  no  consequence  whatever ; 
and  the  greenest  men  we  have  in  our  ranks 
would  have  counted  it  nothing  but  a  frolic  to 
swim  or  wade  across  it,  even  at  the  pond.  Two 
companies  of  our  men  have  beaten  them  fight- 
ing in  the  water.  Then  if  I  had  been  in  com- 
mand of  that  force,  I  would  have  mounted  that 
hill,  and  charged  upon  the  battery,  even  if  I 
had  sacrificed  half  my  men,"  argued  the  colonel, 
somewhat  excited  at  what  he  regarded  as  a  de- 
fence of  the   enemy. 

"  But  the  commander  had  every  reason  to  sup- 
pose the  battery  was  supported  by  infantry  or 
cavalry,  as  it  really  was  ;  and  if  you  had  reached 
the  top  of  the   hill  under  volleys   of  grape  and 


236  AT   THE   FEONT 

canister  from  the  guns,  you  would  have  sacri- 
ficed half  your  men :  and  I  doubt  if  you  would 
have  been  justified  bj-  a  court-martial  in  doing 
that,"  added  the  major  with  a  cheerful  smile,  for 
the   discussion  was   of  the  most  friendly  nature. 

"  Perhaps  you  are  right,  Major  Bornwood ; 
but  if  I  could  not  fight  the  enemy,  I  would 
have  retreated  in  the  first  of  it,"  replied  the 
colonel,  starting  his  horse  down  the  hill.  "That 
is  what  the  commander  of  the  enemy  is  doing 
now  ;  and  he  ought  to  have  done  it  sooner.  I 
would  have  got  out  of  the  scrape  as  quickly  as 
a  rat  would  leap  out  of  a  trap  if  it  found  a 
hole." 

"  I  hope  you  will  not  have  a  chance  to  see 
what  you  would  do  in  such  a  trap  as  the  enemy 
is  escaping  from  now.  Do  you  intend  to  pur- 
sue ?  "  asked  the  staff-officer. 

"I  think  not:  we  have  nothing  further  to  gain 
from  that  force,  unless  it  is  to  grind  it  up  and 
bury  it ;  and  I  shall  not  do  that,"  replied  Colo- 
nel Gordon.  "  As  Major  Lyon's  sketch  shows 
it,  the  space  between  the  two  streams  is  a  tri- 
angle, and  the  enemy  have  retreated  to  the  Buck 


THE    FINAL    RETREAT    OE    THE    ENEMY       237 

Creek  side  of  it,  and  are  moving  north.  Their 
camp  near  the  apex  of  the  figure  is  still  as  they 
left  it." 

"Of  course  you  can  capture  what  is  left  there, 
—  the  tents,  the  ^vagon-train,  and  the  spare 
horses,"  suggested  Major  Bornwood. 

"We  have  no  need  of '  anything  there,  for  we 
are  fully  supplied  with  everj^thing  for-  a  cam- 
paign ;  and  it  would  take  more  time  and  trouble 
to  bring  them  out  than  they  are  worth." 

"  Besides,  the  despatch  I  received  from  the 
general  says,  '  with  all  possible  haste,' "  added 
the  staff-officer. 

"  We  have  no  further  business  here,  and  we 
may  as  well  move  at  once.  I  will  order  Major 
Batterson  to  fire  a  few  solid  shot  into  the  camp, 
for  the  stuff  would  be  only  an  encumbrance  to 
us.  But  we  must  give  our  men  a  few  hours' 
rest  before  we  march ;  for  they  were  on  the  move 
a  good  part  of  last  night,  and  it  is  not  prudent 
to  wear  them  out." 

Orders  were  immediately  given  to  this  effect; 
and  the  battery  was  sent  to  the  nearest  point 
to  the    camp,   where    the    roar    of   its    guns   was 


238  AT   THE   FRONT 

soon  heard.  A  message  was  sent  across  the 
field  to  Lieutenant  Hickman,  the  quartermaster, 
who  was  in  charge  of  the  wagon-train  on  the 
bank  of  the  brook  beyond  the  hills,  to  move 
down  to  the  road.  The  majors  gathered  up 
their  battalions,  and  marched  to  Grundy,  where 
the   train  would  join  them. 

The  cannoneers  were  taking  it  easy  in  their 
work  of  destruction ;  and  by  the  time  the  three 
battalions  had  passed  it,  it  looked  like  a  wreck. 
In  a  field  at  the  side  of  the  road  near  Grundy, 
the  cooks  gave  the  men  their  late  breakfast,  after 
the  train  reached  the  place.  They  had  lunched 
from  their  haversacks  early  in  the  morning,  and 
were  not  in  a  starving  condition. 

"Lieutenant  Hickman,  where  is  Colonel  Lyon 
now  ?  "  asked  Deck,  as  soon  as  the  train  arrived. 

"  We  pitched  a  tent  for  him,  and  made  the 
best  bed  in  it  we  could.  He  has  come  to  his 
senses,  and  was  comfortable,"  replied  the  quarter- 
master. "  The  doctors  have  contrived  a  litter, 
on  which  they  propose  to  move  him  to  the  hotel 
in  Somerset.  The  six  riflemen  sent  up  there  to 
look  out  for  tlie  camp-guards  volunteered    to  be 


THE    FINAL    RETREAT    OF    THE    ENEMY       239 

the  bearers,  and  they  must  have  started  by  this 
time.  They  cleaned  out  every  living  man  that 
could  be  seen  in  the  camp  at  the  side  of  the 
creek ;  and  the  wounding  of  the  colonel  has  been 
fully  revenged  upon  those  who  did  it." 

"Not  revenged,"  protested  Deck.  "The  man 
who  fired  at  my  father  did  only  his  duty ;  and 
I  am  sure  my  father  has  no  feeling  like  revenge 
in  his  heart,  and  I  have  not.  I  shall  ride  up  to 
the  hills." 

All  the  horses  were  fed  as  soon  as  they  were 
cool  enough,  and  had  finished  their  grain  as  soon 
as  the  men  had  done  their  breakfast.  Deck 
mounted  Ceph,  and  hastened  up  the  path  on  the 
shore  of  the  brook.  Before  he  left  the  halting- 
place,  most  of  the  men  were  asleep,  spread  out  on 
their  blankets  upon  the  ground.  The  major  had 
not  gone  half  the  distance  to  the  hill  path  be- 
fore he  met  what  looked  like  a  procession,  headed 
by  the  two  surgeons.  The  litter  followed  next, 
borne  b}^  four  of  the  riflemen,  the  other  two 
mounted,  and  leading  the  horses  of  the  others. 
The  colonel's  orderly  brought  up  the  rear.  The 
procession  halted  as  Dr.  Farnwright  saw  Deck. 


240  AT   THE   FRONT 

"How  is  my  father,  doctor?"  asked  the  major, 
when  he  came  near  enough  to  speak  to  the  sur- 
geon. 

"  He  is  quite  comfortable ;  but  I  fear  his  in- 
jury is  something  more  than  a  mere  scalp  wound, 
so  that  it  will  take  time  for  it  to  heal,  though 
I  do  not  regard  it  as  at  all  dangerous,"  replied 
Dr.  Farnwright. 

"Can  I  speak  to  him?" 

"  Certainly ;  he  is  quite  himself  now.  But 
the  shock  seems  to  leave  him  very  weak." 

The  bearers  of  the  litter  had  placed  their  bur- 
den on  the  ground,  and  one  of  them  told  the 
colonel  Major  Lyon  had  come  to  see  him.  Deck 
dismounted;  and  Ceph  looked  at  the  wounded 
colonel  as  though  he  understood  all  about  the 
case,  and  sympathized  v/ith  the  sufferer.  The 
son  kneeled  at  the  side  of  his  father,  who  reached 
out  his  hand  to  him,  with  a  faint  smile  playing 
on  his  lips. 

"How  do  you  feel,  father?"  asked  Deck,  as 
he  took  the  extended  hand ;  and  he  could  hardly 
restrain  a  flood  of  tears  that  crowded  up  for 
an  outflow. 


The  Son  kneeled  at  the  Sidp:  of  His  Path  eh 

rayv   240 


THE    FINAL    llETKEAT    OF    THE    ENEMY       241 

"I  am  comfortable,  though  my  head  gives  me 
considerable  pain,  and  I  feel  as  weak  as  though 
I  had  been  sick  a  week.  The  doctor  says  I 
shall  do  very  well ;  but  it  will  take  time  for 
the  wound  to  heal,  for  it  is  in  a  dangerous 
place.     How  goes  the  battle,  Dexter?" 

"The  battle  is  over,  and  the  enemy  are  re- 
treating to  the  north,"  replied  Deck.  "The  gen- 
eral has  ordered  the  command  to  Barkville  with 
all  possible  haste,  and  the  men  are  taldng  a  rest 
of  a  few  houi"s  before  we  start." 

At  this  moment  Colonel  Gordon  and  the  staff- 
officer  rode  up  to  the  spot.  They  spoke  to  the 
doctor,  who  explained  the  condition  of  his  pa- 
tient, and  told  them  they  must  not  talk  to  him 
about  the  battle  or  the  war,  for  the  colonel  was 
excitable  on  these  topics.  They  went  to  the 
couch,  and  the  sufferer  took  the  hand  of  each. 
He  wanted  to  know  more  about  the  engagement. 

"  Major  Lyon  has  told  you  about  the  victory. 
Colonel,  and  you  must  not  talk  about  it  any 
more,"  interposed  the  surgeon  very  decidedly. 
The  visitors  obeyed  this  order,  for  they  saw  that 
the  patient  was  getting  somewhat  excited. 


242  AT    THE   FKONT 

Dr.  Fariiwi'ight  gave  them  a  liiut  that  they 
had  better  go,  and  they  mounted  their  horses 
and  departed.  Deck  remained  a  few  minutes 
longer,  but  he  changed  the  current  of  the  pa- 
tient's thought  by  alhiding  to  the  plantation  at 
Riverlawn.  The  surgeon  soon  interposed  again ; 
and  Deck  took  his  leave  of  his  father,  and  the 
procession  resumed  its  march.  At  the  road  two 
more  of  the  riflemen  were  joined  to  the  six,  to 
relieve  the  bearers  on  the  march.  All  of  them 
had  their  horses,  so  that  it  was  no  great  hard- 
ship to  them. 

The  troopers  were  still  asleep ;  and  they  were 
not  disturbed  till  one  o'clock,  after  four  hours' 
rest.  The  column  was  formed  after  the  best 
dinner  that  could  be  served  on  the  march  had 
been  provided  for  the  men.  They  were  not 
greatly  elated  at  the  victory  they  had  won;  for 
there  had  been  very  little  hard  fighting,  and 
most  of  the  work  had  been  done  by  the  bat- 
tery and  the  riflemen.  The  column  marched  at 
two  o'clock. 


GUERILLA    KAID    FROM    OVER    THE    RIVER       2-43 


CHAPTER   XVIII 

A   GTJERILLA   EALD   FROM   OVER    THE   KIVEE, 

When  Colonel  Morgan,  the  daring  Confederate 
raider,  made  his  destructive  foray  through  Ken- 
tucky in  June,  1862,  he  made  a  constant  use  of 
the  telegraph,  taking  messages  to  Union  officers 
from  the  wires,  and  sending  false  despatches  to 
Federal  commanders  at  the  posts  established  for 
the  protection  of  the  State.  Major  Born  wood  had 
followed  his  example  in  suggesting  to  Colonel 
Lyon  the  same  tactics  at  Libert}-,  where  Lieuten- 
ant Fronklyn  had  taken  from  the  wires  the  mes- 
sage of  the  enemy's  commander  at  Buck  Creek, 
inquiring  for  the  number  of  Union  caA^alry  en- 
camped at  Liberty.  The  staff-officer  wrote  the 
answer  that  the  force  had  marched  for  Greensburof 
at  eight  o'clock  that  evening.  This  reply  had 
deceived  the  colonel  in  command,  and  he  believed 
that  no  Union  troopers  were  near  him,  and  there- 
fore neglected  all  precautions  to  repel  an  attack. 


244  AT    THE    FRONT 

As  Major  Bornwood  suggested,  he  should  have 
had  scouts  on  the  roads  at  both  sides  of  his  camp. 
Doubtless  there  were  guards  in  and  around  his 
camp,  but  they  were  too  far  removed  from  the 
approaches  to  the  triangle  to  hear  the  careful 
movements  of  the  Union  force.  The  artillery  had 
moved  along  the  shore  of  the  brook  west  of  the 
hills,  and  had  secured  its  position  on  the  elevation 
without  noise,  for  the  guns  had  been  moved  up  by 
hand-power.  Major  Lyon  had  followed  the  road 
to  the  point  above  the  pond  where  he  had  to  cross 
to  open  the  engagement,  leaving  Captain  Ripley's 
company  in  the  woods  on  the  way.  Seven  com- 
panies of  the  regiment  had  been  posted  on  the  flat 
by  the  brook,  where  they  could  hasten  to  the  sup- 
port of  the  battery  if  it  was  attacked,  as  the  colo- 
nel believed  it  would  be. 

All  these  movements  had  been  made  in  silence, 
before  daylight,  while  the  enemy  were  sleeping 
out  their  morning  nap.  The  attack  was  therefore 
a  perfect  surprise.  A  volley  from  the  carbines  of 
Major  Lyon's  battalion  was  the  first  intimation  the 
Confederates  had  of  the  approach  of  an  enemy, 
who  retreated  as  soon  as  they  had  delivered  their 


GUERJLLA    RAID    FROM    OVER    THE    RIVER       245 

fire.  Then  the  six  guns  of  the  battery  poured 
canister  into  the  line  of  the  Confederates  as  they 
assembled  for  roll-call.  It  was  not  strange,  there- 
fore, that  the  day  was  really  lost  as  soon  as  the 
battle  opened.  The  enemy  retreated  till  the  dan- 
ger was  past,  and  then  took  the  road  in  -the 
direction  they  had  chosen.  They  soon  discovered 
that  their  formidable  enemy  had  left  the  ground. 
A  portion  of  the  command  returned  to  the  camp, 
and  gathered  up  the  remains  of  their  tents  and 
train,  and  then  marched  to  Rockcastle.  Here  two 
other  regiments  of  cavalry  joined  them,  and  the 
commander  of  the  defeated  force,  being  the  senior 
in  rank  of  the  other  two,  had  the  charge  of  all  four 
regiments  ;  and  later  the  brigade  appeared  at  Mun- 
fordville,  which  was  on  the  road  General  Bragg 
had  selected  for  his  marcli  to  Louisville. 

The  Union  force,  now  under  the  command  of 
Colonel  Gordon,  marched  from  the  vicinity  of 
Grundy  to  Somerset,  which  the  bearers  of  Colonel 
Lyon's  litter  had  reached.  The  hotel-keeper,  like 
the  postmaster,  was  a  Union  man ;  and  he  fur- 
nished the  best  accommodations  in  his  house  for 
the  patient.     Dr.  Farnwright  had  gone  with  him, 


24G  AT    THE    FRONT 

while  his  assistant  had  been  sent  to  the  hospital 
in  the  woods  to  look  after  the  few  men  who  had 
been  wounded  in  the  action.  Two  of  the  riflemen 
had  been  killed,  and  seven  men  of  Captain  Ab- 
bey's company  had  been  wounded,  two  of  them 
dangerously,  in  the  fight  in  the  brook.  The  worst 
cases  were  sent  to  Somerset  by  the  assistant  sur- 
geon, and  the  others  insisted  upon  joining  their 
companies.  On  the  arrival  of  the  column  at  the 
hotel  in  Somerset,  the  eight  bearers  of  the  litter 
were  found  in  front  of  the  hotel,  where  they  had 
taken  their  breakfast,  and  now  joined  their  com- 
pany. 

Major  Lyon  went  in  to  see  his  father  again,  and 
they  bade  each  other  an  affectionate  adieu.  Cap- 
tain Artie  Lyon  also  visited  him ;  and  though  he 
was  only  an  adopted  son,  he  was  as  kindly  re- 
ceived as  Deck  had  been,  and  the  parting  was  just 
as  tender.  Dr.  Farnwright  followed  Deck  out 
into  the  hall,  and  told  him  that  he  had  met  a  skil- 
ful physician  and  surgeon  whose  acquaintance  he 
had  made  on  his  former  visit  to  the  town.  He 
had  taken  him  to  see  the  patient,  and  given  him 
a  full  account  of  his  condition.     He  was  to  leave 


GUERILLA    RAID    FROISI    OVER    THE    RIVER       247 

the  wounded  colonel  in  charge  of  this  doctor,  as- 
sured that  he  would  do  all  that  was  needed  to 
effect  his  cure. 

Deck  took  his  place  on  the  flank  of  the  regi- 
ment, and  the  march  was  resumed.  It  was  twenty- 
five  miles  to  Jamestown ;  and  they  reached  this 
town  at  sundown,  and  encamped  in  a  field.  The 
old  Riverlawn  battalion  had  been  here  before,  and 
the  first  lieutenant  of  Captain  Ripley's  company 
had  been  the  keeper  of  the  county  jail  here,  —  for 
the  town  was  the  capital  of  Russell  County,  —  and 
the  officers  were  acquainted  with  many  persons. 
At  the  hotel  Deck  had  first  met  General  Wood- 
bine, on  whose  staff  he  had  served  at  the  battle  of 
Pittsburg  Landing  and  the  operations  in  front  of 
Corinth.  The  field-officers  camped  at  the  hotel ; 
but  they  made  no  late  houi-s  of  the  evening,  for 
they  had  lost  more  sleep  than  the  privates.  The 
entire  command  made  a  longf  nigflit  of  it. 

Mindful  of  the  general's  order  to  move  with 
all  possible  haste,  the  men  were  called  at  daylight, 
after  from  eight  to  ten  hours'  sleep,  had  an  early 
breakfast,  and  the  column  moved  for  Millers- 
ville,  ten  miles  distant,  and  arrived  there  at  nine 


248  AT    THE    FllONT 

o'clock  in  the  forenoon.  It  was  not  much  of  a 
town,  little  more  than  a  post-office;-  but  it  was 
a  rich  farming  district,  and  had  been  a  fruitful 
field  for  the  raiders  and  guerillas  from  Tennessee. 
It  was  in  this  vicinity  that  Deck,  as  a  "  lieutenant 
at  eighteen,"  had  beaten  and  captured  a  gang  of 
guerillas  plundering  the  mansion  of  a  brother  of 
Colonel  Halliburn,  the  guardian  of  Grace  Mor- 
gan, who  was  engaged  to  Lieutenant  Milton. 

The  first  person  they  met  as  they  approached 
the  hamlet  was  Colonel  Halliburn,  the  captain  of 
the  Home  Guards  raised  in  the  vicinity,  of  which 
Captain  Ripley's  company  formed  a  part.  He  was 
on  horseback,  riding  at  full  gallop.  He  had 
served  with  his  command  at  Columbia  with  the 
Riverlawns,  and  taken  part  in  the  engagement 
there. 

"  Good-morning,  Captain  Halliburn,"  said  Colo- 
nel Gordon,  using  the  title  the  colonel  preferred, 
as  that  of  his  actual  rank.  "  You  seem  to  be  in  a 
hurry." 

"  I  am  in  a  hurry ;  for  our  village  is  threatened 
by  a  guerilla  force  of  a  thousand  men  or  more,  as 
rej)orted,   wlio    have    been    ravaging  the   country 


GUERILLA    RAID    FROM   OVER    THE    RIVER        249 

around  since  yesterday  noon.  We  have  had  no 
raids  since  you  were  here  before ;  but  the  inva- 
sion of  the  State  by  the  armies  of  Bragg  and  Kirby 
Smith  has  brought  the  guerillas  down  upon  us 
again.  I'm  glad  you  have  come,  in  reply  to  my 
telegram,"  replied  Captain  Halliburn. 

"  I  have  received  no  telegram  from  you,"  added 
the  colonel. 

"I  sent  one  last  night  by  the  way  of  Liberty, 
for  I  did  not  know  where  you  had  gone  from 
there." 

"We  left  there  night  before  last.  We  arrested 
the  postmaster,  who  was  also  the  telegraph  ope- 
rator ;  for  we  found  that  he  was  a  Secessionist,  and 
w^as  playing  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy.  We 
had  to  discharge  him  when  we  left  the  town,  and 
he  would  not  have  sent  your  message  to  the  in- 
jury of  the  guerillas,  for  he  is  a  traitor.  It  did 
not  get  beyond  his  office." 

"Then,  how  do  you  happen  to  be  here?"  asked 
the  captain. 

"  We  are  ordered  to  Barkville,  and  we  are  on 
our  way  there." 

"  That  is  fortunate  for  us,  for  these  raiders  will 


250  AT    THE    FRONT 

clean  out  the  whole  country  around  us.  But 
where  is  Colonel  Lyon?  "  asked  the  commander 
of  the  Home  Guard,  as  he  looked  about  him 
among  the  officers  where  the  colonel  had  halted 
the  regiment. 

"  Unhappily  the  colonel  was  wounded  at  an 
engagement  we  had  on  Buck  Creek  yesterday, 
and  we  had  to  leave  liim  at  Somerset." 

"  I  am  sorry  to  hear  such  news  of  him ;  for  he 
is  a  brave  and  skilful  officer,  and  the  country 
needs  such  men.     Is  he  dangerously  wounded?" 

"  No ;  the  doctors  think  he  will  recover  in  the 
course  of  two  weeks.  But  where  are  the  gue- 
rillas, Captain?  " 

"They  swam  the  river  with  their  horses  at 
Cuffy's  Ferry,  cleaned  out  Rock  House,  and  plun- 
dered the  farms  near  it  yesterday  afternoon,  and 
went  into  camp  at  night  on  the  creek.  They 
were  not  five  miles  from  here  an  hour  ago,  for  I 
have  scouts  out  watching  their  movements.  They 
have  plundered  two  or  three  farms  this  morning, 
carrying  off  all  the  stock  and  grain,  and  killed 
one  man  who  would  not  tell  the  leader  where  his 
money  was  concealed." 


GUERILLA    RAID    FROM   OVER    THE   RIVER       251 

"  Then,  I  suppose  they  will  come  to  this  village 
by  the  road  from  the  Cumberland  River,"  added 
Colonel  Gordon,  who  was  familiar  with  the  lo- 
cality, having  fought  in  the  battle  of  Mill  Spring 
and  in  several  skirmishes  in  the  vicinity. 

"  Probably  most  of  them  will  come  that  way ; 
but  some  will  approach  over  the  fields,  where 
they  have  been  plundering  the  farms.  You  can 
see  the  houses  which  will  doubtless  be  visited 
and  plundered  before  noon  to-day,  if  we  do  not 
check  them.  I  have  posted  the  Home  Guard,  all 
mounted  and  armed  with  sabres  and  pistols,  be- 
hind that  hill;  for  the  house  near  it  is  likely  to 
be  the  next  one  visited." 

But  the  captain's  programme  of  the  anticipated 
movements  of  the  guerillas  did  not  prove  to  be 
correct;  for  a  scout  came  to  the  village,  and  re- 
ported that  the  gang  were  moving  up  the  road. 

"  How  far  off  are  they  ?  "  asked  the  captain. 

"  About  three  miles ;  I  ran  my  horse  all  the 
way  back  to  give  you  this  information,"  replied 
the  scout,  and  his  steed  looked  as  though  he 
told  the  truth  in  regard  to  his  speed. 

"  You  have  done  well,  Corry.     I  thought  your 


252  AT   THE   FRONT 

place  would  be  tlie  f)ne  tliey  would  ravage  next ; 
and  I  have  posted  the  Home  Guard  behind  that 
hill,  half  a  mile  this  side  of  it.  We  have  a  strong 
force  here  now,  and  we  shall  need  you  just  now. 
Will  you  ride  over  to  that  hill,  and  tell  Lieuten- 
ant Gamble  to  move  his  force  over  to  the  road, 
cross  it,  and  conceal  his  men  in  the  woods  there?  " 

"I  will  do  so,  Captain,"  replied  Corry,  as  he 
hastened  to  the  hill  indicated. 

"Tell  the  lieutenant  he  will  find  some  of  his 
friends  there ;  for  I  shall  post  Captain  Ripley's 
company  there,"  added  Colonel  Gordon. 

Corry  hurried  away  to  execute  his  mission,  and 
the  commander  of  the  force  proceeded  to  make 
his  disposition  of  his  companies.  Captain  Halli- 
burn  conducted  him  to  the  top  of  the  highest  hill 
in  the  vicinity,  the  summit  of  which  commanded 
a  view  of  the  greater  portion  of  the  country  be* 
tween  the  village  and  the  Cumberland  River.  It 
was  a  gradual  descent  all  the  way  to  the  great 
stream,  though  there  were  a  considerable  number 
of  hills  or  elevations  from  fifty  to  a  hundred  feet 
high.  On  the  right  of  the  road  by  Avhich  the 
regiment  had  approached  the  village  the  face  of 


GUERILLA    RAID    FROM    OVER    THE    RIVER       253 

the  region  was  quite  uneven,  though  the  hill  the 
colonel  and  the  captain  had  ascended  was  the 
highest  in  sight,  but  not  more  than  two  hundred 
and  fifty  feet  high. 

"  This  is  a  good  location  for  a  fight,"  said 
the  colonel  as  he  looked  over  the  region  'be- 
neath him. 

"  I  suppose  it  is  if  you  have  force  enough 
to  make  a  good  use  of  it,"  replied  Captain  Hal- 
liburn.  "  I  have  less  than  a  hundred  men  in 
the  Home  Guard  of  this  vicinity,  made  up  from 
the  men  of  this  little  village,  and  from  the  farms 
for  ten  miles  and  more  around  it;  I  doii't  ex- 
actly desire  a  fight  with  ten  times  my  strength." 

"I  should  say  not!"  added  the  colonel,  with 
a  smile.  "That  is  rather  too  great  odds,  for 
you  say  they  consist  of  a  thousand  men." 

"  That  is  what  my  scouts  reported  to  me,  but 
there  may  not  be  more  than  half  that  number. 
I  have  not  seen  them,  for  it  has  taken  all  my 
time  since  yesterday  noon  to  drum  up  what  men 
I  have  to  meet  them.  I  missed  Ripley  and  his 
men  more  than  I  can  describe." 

"  But  we    have    them    here    now,  and   I   have 


254  AT    THE    FRONT 

no  doubt  they  will  render  as  good  service  as 
they  did  at  Columbia  and  Buck  Creek.  How 
did  you  discover  their  approach  ?  " 

"The  man  that  lives  in  the  farthest  house 
you  see  in  the  southwest  rode  over  here,  and 
told  me  they  were  crossing  the  river.  Some  of 
them  were  in  boats,  leading  their  horses,  but 
most  of  the  men  were  swimming  them.  Bailey 
said  he  saw  three  of  them  carried  down  the 
river,  and  he  thought  they  were  drowned." 

"  Probably  his  estimate  of  the  number  was  ex- 
aggerated, as  is  very  apt  to  be  the  case,"  said 
Colonel  Gordon,  as  he  took  a  block  of  paper  from 
his  pocket,  and  began  to  write.  "  What  do  you 
call  that  place  where  the  two  roads  meet,  one  of 
them  leading  down  to  the  river?" 

"  That  is  called  Grimsby's  Corner ;  and  this 
village  had  that  name  till  about  ten  years  ago, 
when  it  received  its  present  name,  after  the  big- 
gest man  in  the  place." 

"  There  is  a  hill  near  it :  has  that  a  name  ?  " 

"  It  is  commonly  called  Grimsby  Hill  when  it  is 
called  by  any  name." 

The  colonel  had  made  a  sketch  of  the  reofion 


GUERILLA    RAID   FROM   OVER   THE   RIVER       255 

around  him.  He  wrote  the  name  of  the  hill 
against  it,  and  then  put  a  capital  B  in  the  circle 
he  had  made  for  the  hill ;  for  he  had  no  time  to 
draw  it  as  mountains  are  represented  on  maps. 

"Has  this  hill  a  name?" 

"  Win  Milton  always  called  it  Grace  Hill,  after 
the  lady  he  brought  over  here  after  her  guardian's 
house  was  sacked  by  guerillas,  an  occasion  you 
must  remember." 

"  I  remember  it  very  well ;  but  Major  Lyon 
was  the   hero   of  that  affair." 

The  colonel  wrote  the  name  of  the  hill,  and 
against  it  some  letters  which  meant  "  Truman's 
battalion,"  indicating  that  he  was  to  occupy  it 
on  the  roadside,  fifty  feet  above  it.  Then  he 
called  three  orderly  sergeants  he  had  directed  to 
follow  him  up  the  hill.  He  then  wrote  three 
notes  on  the  block,  and  sent  them  to  the  three 
majors.  He  wrote  a  fourth,  which  the  captain 
delivered  to  Major  Batterson.  He  remained  on 
the  hill. 


256  AT   THP]    FRONT 


CHAPTER  XIX 

GRACE  MORGAN  AND  THE  GUERILLA 

CORRY  the  scout,  who  lived  in  the  house  near- 
est to  the  hill  behind  which  the  Home  Guard 
had  been  posted  by  Captain  Halliburn,  had  been 
sent  with  a  message  to  Lieutenant  Gamble  to 
take  the  company  to  the  woods  at  the  side  of  the 
road. 

"  Can  I  go  into  the  house  while  I'm  over  there, 
Captain  ?  "  asked  the  scout.'  "  My  little  boy  is 
very  sick  to-day,  and  I  -want  to  see  how  he  is. 
Grace  Morgan  went  over  to  help  my  wife  take 
care  of  him  this  morning ;  and  I  reckon  she  will 
want  to  get  home  before  the  guerillas  get  there, 
if  they  should  take  a  notion  to  go  to  my  house 
first." 

"  Certainly  you  can  go  to  your  house,"  rej^lied 
the  captain.  "If  he  is  very  sick,  you  can  stay 
at  home,  for  we  have  plenty  of  men  now." 

"  I  reckon  my  wife  will  be  scared  half  to  death, 


GRACE    MORGAN    AND    THE    GUERILLA         257 

and  Grace  will  want  to  go  home  if  there  is  going 
to  be  a  row  over  that  way,"  answered  Corry  as 
he  dashed  off  to  do  his  errand. 

Colonel  Gordon,  as  he  seated  himself  on  a  rock 
at  the  summit  of  the  liill,  recalled  this  conversa- 
tion. He  saw  the  scout  hastening  at  full  galiop 
to  the  position  of  the  Home  Guard.  The  bat- 
tery was  hastening  to  Grimsby  Hill,  in  obedience 
to  the  order  sent  to  Major  Batterson ;  and  the 
battalions  of  Major  Belthorpe  and  ]\Iajor  Tru- 
man were  moving  to  the  rear  of  Grace  Hill,  as 
directed  in  the  colonel's  note  to  their  command- 
ers. The  attentive  observer  on  the  hill  was  sur- 
veying every  portion  of  the  country  spread  out 
before  him.  He  was  sorry  that  the  trouble  in 
Millersville  came  at  just  this  time ;  for  he  was 
anxious  to  obey  the  order  of  the  general  to  use 
all  possible  haste  on  his  march  to  Barkville,  and 
the  affair  might  delay  him  a  longer  time  than  he 
cared  to  spare.  But  he  felt  that  it  was  his  duty 
to  rid  the  locality  of  the  invading  guerillas  ;  for 
they  seemed  to  be  almost  swarming  in  this  part 
of  the  State,  in  addition  to  the  raiding  parties 
who  were  picking  up  supplies  for  the  Confederate 


258  AT    THE    FRONT 

army.  Besides,  the  staff-officer  representing  the 
general  was  still  with  him,  and  had  approved  his 
decision  to  defend  the  village. 

Before  Corry  could  reach  the  hill,  Colonel  Gor- 
don saw  a  woman  leave  the  house  of  the  scout. 
For  some  reason  which  the  observer  could  not 
understand,  she  did  not  take  the  most  direct  way 
across  the  fields  to  the  house  of  Captain  Hal- 
liburn,  but  went  to  the  south  of  the  hill,  and 
then  directed  her  steps  to  the  road  by  which  the 
guerillas  were  said  to  be  approaching.  There 
was  a  cart^path  across  the  fields,  which  the  colo- 
nel could  see  with  the  aid  of  his  glass ;  and  the 
woman  was  following  this,  which  appeared  to  be 
used  by  Corry's  and  another  house  half-way  from 
it  to  the  road.  After  what  the  scout  had  said 
about  his  sick  child,  the  observer  on  the  hill  had 
no  doubt  that  she  was  Grace  Morgan.  Milton 
had  met  her  at  his  father's  house  on  his  way 
to  Somerset,  and  she  had  returned  from  her  visit 
there. 

The  artillery  and  the  cavalry  were  now  all  in 
the  positions  assigned  to  them.  Major  Bornwood 
had  taken  a  lunch  from  his  haversack ;  for  he  was 


GRACE   MORGAN    AND   THE   GUERILLA         259 

provided  with  all  the  accoutrements  of  a  soldier 
in  the  field,  and  armed  with  a,  sabre  and  a  brace 
of  revolvers,  though  he  carried  no  carbine.  He 
was  climbing  the  hill  to  join  the  colonel,  where 
he  could  see  the  operations  in  the  field,  or  on  the 
road  to  the  river,  which  could  not  be  much  longer 
delayed.  He  reached  the  top  of  the  hill;  and  af- 
ter the  two  officers  had  passed  "the  time  of  day," 
the  colonel  explained  m  what  manner  he  had  dis- 
posed of  his  force,  and  pointed  out  the  locations 
of  the  several  battalions  and  the  Imttery,  and 
stated  that  the  enemy  had  been  reported  by  a 
scout  as  coming  up  the  road. 

Everything  was  as  silent  as  though  it  had  been 
midnight  instead  of  ten  o'clock  in  the  forenoon. 
Of  course  the  news  of  the  arrival  of  the  Union 
force  had  been  circulated  in  the  village,  the  most 
of  which  lay  at  the  side  of  the  road  near  Grimsby 
Hill,  and  had  reached  the  houses  for  a  mile  or 
more  around  it.  Care  had  been  taken  that  the 
guerillas  should  not  be  apprised  of  the  presence 
of  the  comparatively  heavy  force  that  were  to  give 
them  a  reception. 

"  There  is  a  woman  crossing  that  field,"  said  the 


260  AT   THE   FRONT 

staff-officer,  as  he  discovered  her  moving  with 
hasty  steps  along  tlie  cart-path. 

"  That  is  Grace  Morgan,"  replied  the  colonel. 

"Who  is  Grace  Morgan?"  asked  the  major; 
and  tlie  commander  told  him  all  about  her,  in- 
cluding her  relations  with  the  second  lieutenant 
of  the  fourth  company,  and  the  staff- officer  was 
very  much  interested  in  the  story. 

At  the  end  of  the  cart-path,  there  was  an  open- 
ing in  the  fence  into  the  road ;  and  Grace  was 
hurrying  her  steps  to  this  point.  She  had  just 
passed  Perry's  house,  the  nearer  of  the  two  on  the 
field-road  to  the  River  Road,  as  it  was  called, 
when  a  mounted  man  was  discovered,  through  the 
glass  of  the  colonel,  approaching  the  village.  He 
wore  no  uniform,  and  the  observer  liad  no  doubt 
he  was  a  scout  sent  forward  by  the  maraud- 
ers to  feel  the  way  for  the  main  body.  He 
turned  into  the  opening,  and  halted  to  make  a 
survey  of  the  situation.  Unfortunately  Grace 
was  included  in  the  circle  of  his  vision,  and  he 
did  not  appear  to  see  anything  else.  The  abso- 
lute silence  which  pervaded  the  region  assured 
him  that  he  was  safe  from  attack,  and  he  could 


GRACE   MORGAN    AND   THE   GUERILLA         261 

not  help  seeing  that  Grace  was  a  very  pretty  girl. 
The  colonel  could  observe  them  both  so  far  as 
their  movements  were  concerned,  but  of  course 
he  could  not  comprehend  what  had  passed  or  might 
pass  between  them. 

As  soon  as  she  saw  him  she  understood  that 
he  was  not  one  of  the  Home  Guard,  though  the 
members  wore  no  uniform.  She  turned,  and  at- 
tempted to  run  to  Perry's  house. 

The  horseman  put  spurs  to  his  steed,  and  over- 
took her  in  a  moment,  and  reined  in  before  her. 
It  was  not  strange  that  she  was  very  much 
alarmed ;  and  her  fright  seemed  to  paralyze  her  so 
that  she  had  not  the  strength  to  escape  from  him. 
He  dropped  from  his  horse,  and  seized  her  by  the 
arm.  She  screamed;  but  there  was  no  one  near 
enough  to  render  any  assistance,  for  Perry  was 
in  the  Home  Guard  at  the  hill.  The  ruffian 
dragged  her  towards  his  horse ;  and,  still  holding 
her  with  one  hand,  he  leaped  on  the  back  of  his 
steed.  The  animal  was  one  of  that  sort  that 
never  go  when  they  can  help  it,  and  stood  per- 
fectly still. 

By  tliis  time  the  Home  Guard  were  coming  out 


262  AT    THE    FRONT 

from  behind  the  hill.  The  men  were  all  mounted 
on  good  horses,  and  they  galloped  into  the  field- 
road  from  Cony's  house.  Grace  saw  them,  and 
screamed  again.  The  ruffian  saw  them  also,  and 
doubtless  feared  that  he  should  lose  his  prize.  He 
was  a  strong  and  agile  fellow  ;  and  seizing  the  girl 
by  the  other  arm,  he  dragged  her  upon  his  horse 
in  front  of  him.  With  his  right  arm  around  her, 
he  grasped  his  reins  with  the  other,  and  spurred 
his  horse  forward,  guiding  him  towards  the  open- 
ing to  the  road. 

The  wood  on  the  opposite  side  was  already  oc- 
cupied by  the  riflemen,  nearly  as  far  down  as  the 
gateway  on  the  other  side  of  the  road.  It  was 
not  a  dense  forest,  and  the  trees  were  rather 
sparsely  scattered  through  it.  The  land  was  the 
property  of  Captain  Halliburn ;  and  in  peaceful 
times  it  was  a  good  investment,  for  the  black- 
walnut  lumber  was  shipped  down  the  river.  The 
trees  appeared  to  have  been  thinned  out  when 
young,  to  increase  their  growth,  so  that  mounted 
men  could  move  with  tolerable  facility  among 
them.  In  this  wood  Major  Lyon's  battalion  had 
been  stationed  in  the  rear  of  the  riflemen.     Deck, 


GRACE   MORGAN   AND   THE   GUERILLA         263 

with  Captain  Artie  Lyon  at  his  side,  had  ridden 
down  beyond  the  position  of  the  riflemen,  in  order 
to  obtain  the  first  knowledge  of  the  approach  of 
the  enemy.  They  were  nearly  opposite  the  gate- 
way when  the  rnffian,  with  Grace  still  struggling 
in  his  strong  grasp,  passed  through  it.  Deck  was 
gazing  down  the  road,  looking  for  the  enemy,  and 
Artie  was  the  first  to  see  the  ruffian  as  he  ap- 
proached the  opening. 

"What's  that?"  he  exclaimed.  "A  man  car- 
rying off  a  woman  I" 

"That's  Grace  Morgan!"  ejaculated  the  major, 
as  he  instantly  recognized  the  maiden ;  for  he  had 
seen  her  at  the  house  of  Milton's  father  on  the 
way  to  Somerset.  "  Send  one  of  those  riflemen 
for  Lieutenant  Milton!"  he  added,  as  he  dashed 
out  into  the  road ;  for  there  was  no  fence  to 
impede  him. 

But  the  ruffian  had  passed  the  gateway  before 
him.  His  steed  was  no  match  for  Ceph ;  and  in  a 
few  moments  Deck  passed  him,  wheeled  his  horse, 
and  faced  him.  A  mile  farther  down  the  straight 
road  he  could  see  the  head  of  the  enemy's  coluirm 
moving  slowly  towards  the  village. 


264  AT   THE   FRONT 

"  Save  me,  JNIajor  Lyon  ! "  cried  the  terrified 
maiden  when  she  saw  him. 

"Release  the  lady,  you  villain!"  shouted  Deck, 
as  savagely  as  though  he  had  been  a  bandit  him- 
self, just  as  Captain  Artie  joined  him. 

The  guerilla  looked  at  him,  and  made  no  at- 
tempt to  escape,  even  when  he  saw  the  two  offi- 
cers with  drawn  sabres  in  front  of  him.  He  was 
a  bold  and  daring  fellow,  and  evidently  knew  no 
such  thing  as  fear.  He  had  a  musket  slung  over 
his  shoulders ;  but  it  was  a  useless  weapon  to  him 
as  long  as  he  held  his  prize.  On  the  other  hand, 
Deck  and  Artie  could  do  nothing  without  the 
danger  of  injuring  Grace. 

"  What  be  you  gwine  to  do  about  it,  Yanks  ?  " 
demanded  the  ruffian,  after  he  had  looked  his 
assailants  over  a  moment  with  a  coolness  that 
would  have  been  admirable  in  a  better  cause. 
"  This  gal's  my  prize,  and  I'm  gwine  to  kerry  her 
over  inter  Tennessee  in  spite  o'  any  young  cubs 
like  you  uns.  Do  you  see  them  men  riding  up 
the  road  yender?  I  b'long  to  that  crowd,  an' 
you  uns  better  make  yoursel's  skeerce  'fore  they 
git  here." 


"What  be  You  gwine  to  do  aboit  It?" 


J'atje  2G4 


GRACE   MORGAN    AND   THE   GUERILLA         265 

"  This  is  an  outrage,  and  it  is  a  disgrace  to  any 
soldier  to  be  guilty  of  it,"  replied  Deck,  as  he  saw 
the  steed  of  Win  Milton  bounding  like  a  rocket 
out  of  the  woods. 

"  I  ain't  no  soldier ;  we  uns  fight  on  our  own 
hook." 

"Save  me,  Major!"  gasped  Grace,  who  seemed 
to  think  that  the  two  officers  could  assist  her. 

"  You  needn't  have  said  you  were  no  sol- 
dier, for  that  was  plain  enough  before,"  added 
Deck,  who  wished  to  occupy  the  attention  of  the 
ruffian  till  Milton  reached  the  road ;  but  there 
was  no  need  for  him  to  say  anything  more,  for  the 
lieutenant  dashed  into  the  road,  and  in  a  moment 
more  he  had  reached  the  scene  of  the  parley,  just 
as  the  guerilla  began  to  give  something  more  of 
his  argument. 

Milton  evidently  understood  the  situation  at  a 
glance,  as  he  saw  the  two  officers  confronting  the 
ruffian.  Artie  had  told  the  rifleman  who  carried 
his  message,  that  Grace  Morgan  had  been  captured 
by  a  man,  who  was  carrying  her  off.  The  lieuten- 
ant was  mounted  for  the  fight ;  and  he  did  not  wait 
to  hear  any  more,  but  bounded  away  through  the 


266  AT    THE    FRONT 

trees  as  fast  as  his  spirited  horse  could  carry  him. 
Deck  was  unable  to  imagine  what  he  could  do 
when  he  saw  him  rein  up  his  steed,  and  leap  from 
his  saddle  to  the  ground;  for  he  was  in  as  much 
danger  of  injuring  Grace  as  the  major  and  the 
captain  had  been.  He  unhooked  his  sabre,  and 
dropped  it  upon  the  ground  as  though  he  had 
no  use  for  it.  With  a  tremendous  spring,  for  he 
was  an  athlete,  he  vaulted  upon  the  hips  of  the 
ruffian's  horse,  and  clutched  him  by  the  throat. 
He  drew  back  the  villain's  head,  and  choked  him 
till  he  could  hear  the  loud  rattle  in  his  throat. 

The  guerilla  struggled  with  all  his  might  to 
reach  his  assailant  behind  him,  and  this  movement 
released  Grace  from  his  grasp.  Deck  dismounted, 
and  rushed  to  her  assistance,  lifting  her  to  the 
ground.  The  maiden  was  saved  by  this  prompt 
action  on  the  part  of  the  lieutenant ;  and  when  he 
saw  her  in  the  arms  of  the  major,  he  pitched  the 
ruffian  to  the  ground,  and  drawing  his  revolver, 
put  a  bullet  through  his  brain. 

"  Are  you  hurt,  Grace  ?  "  asked  the  lieutenant 
tenderly,  as  he  took  one  of  her  hands. 

"  I  feel  very  sore  from  the  treatment  I  have  re- 


GRACE  MORGAK  AND  THE  GUERILLA    267 

ceived,  but  I  am  not  badly  injured.  I  have  been 
frightened  almost  to  death,"  replied  she  in  gasp- 
ing tones ;  and  it  was  evident  that  her  nervous 
system  had  been  terribly  shaken  by  the  rough 
usage  of  the  ruffian. 

"But  the  enemy  are  coming,"  interposed  Major 
Lyon,  "  and  we  must  be  ready  for  them." 

"  You  have  leave  of  absence  to  go  home  with 
her,  Lieutenant  Milton,"  added  Captain  Artie. 

"  Thank  you.  Captain ;  I  would  not  leave  for 
anything  short  of  this,"  replied  Milton,  as  he 
picked  up  his  sabre,  hooked  it  in  place,  and  then 
lifted  Grace  to  the  saddle  of  his  horse ;  and  it 
was  not  the  first  time  she  had  ridden  on  a  man's 
saddle,  as  Deck  knew. 

She  held  on  at  the  holsters,  and  Milton  led  the 
horse.  She  declared  that  she  felt  much  better  by 
the  time  they  reached  the  house  of  Captain  Halli- 
burn ;  and  when  she  went  in,  she  said  he  might 
return  to  his  company.  He  sent  Dr.  Barlow  to 
her,  and  then  hastened  down  the  road  till  he  saw 
the  advancing  enemy,  and  then,  like  the  negro,  he 
"  took  to  the  woods,"  and  soon  reached  Captain 
Artie's  company. 


268  AT   THE   FEONT 

Colonel  Gordon  and  Major  Bornwood  had  wit- 
nessed the  capture  of  Grace  by  the  guerilla,  and 
had  observed  the  whole  affair  with  their  field- 
glasses. 

"  Milton  ought  to  be  promoted  for  that ;  but 
he  will  marry  the  girl,  and  that  will  make  it  all 
right,"  said  the  colonel. 

"  I  held  my  breath  with  anxiety  when  I  saw 
the  two  officers  in  front  of  the  scoundrel,  unable 
to  do  anything  for  fear  of  harming  the  girl ;  and 
when  the  lieutenant  had  the  fellow  by  the  throat, 
I  knew  he  would  not  let  go,  and  I  wanted  to  yell 
with  delight,"  added  the  staff-officer.  "  But  the 
enemy  have  nearly  reached  the  position  of  the 
riflemen,  and  there  will  be  '  music '  very  soon. 
The  guerilla  in  command  is  at  the  head  of  his 
troop." 

A  moment  later  the  chief  dropped  from  his 
saddle. 


TARDY  MOVEMENTS  OP  THE  ENEMY    269 


CHAPTER  XX 

TAKDY  MOVEMENTS  OF  THE  ENEMY 

"Captain  Grinders  has  fallen!"  exclaimed 
several  riders  in  the  front  rank  of  the  gang,  as 
they  halted,  and  thus  caused  the  stoppage  of  the 
whole  body. 

The  leader  of  the  guerillas  dropped  upon  the 
ground,  and  his  horse  moved  on,  leaving  him 
there ;  but  Captain  Grinders  did  not  move  again. 
The  front  rank  talked  the  matter  over  among 
themselves. 

"You  are  captain  now,  Pardell,"  said  one  of 
them,  as  a  man  rode  forward  from  the  left  flank 
of  the  column.  "What  are  you  going  to  do 
now?  We  are  all  sworn  to  obey  orders,  and  of 
course  we  shall  do  so.  I  didn't  believe  in  coming 
up  to  the  village  by  the  road,  when  the  fields  are 
open  all  the  wa}- ;   l)ut  I  didn't  say  anything." 

"  Captain  Grinders  is  killed,  and  of  course  the 
command  falls  to  me,"  replied  Pardell.     "What 


270  AT    THE    FKONT 

am  I  going  to  do  ?  I  am  going  to  put  this  thing 
through,  Squire  Vintner.  I  don't  see  any  Home 
Guards  around  here,  though  I  heard  they  had 
about  a  hundred  in  the  company  before  we  left 
home.  I  suppose  some  of  them  are  hid  in  this 
wood,  and  mean  to  shoot  us  down  as  we  go  along. 
I  was  not  in  favor  of  coming  up  by  the  road  any 
more  than  you  were,  Squire ;  but  1  obey  orders, 
though  I  told  Captain  Grinders  what  I  thought: 
and  now  he  is  the  first  to  pay  for  it,  for  not  mind- 
ing what  I  said." 

The  riflemen  evidently  believed  in  fair  play ; 
and  the  next  one  to  drop  was  Captain  Pardell, 
losing  his  life  before  he  could  enjoy  his  accidental 
promotion.  The  commander  of  the  riflemen  had 
fired  at  both  the  captain  and  his  successor ;  for 
the  latter  had  come  to  the  front,  and  disturbed 
his  arrangement.  The  leaders  had  fallen ;  but 
the  four  men  in  the  front  rank  still  kept  their 
places,  facing  the  hill  where  the  colonel  and  the 
staff-officer  were  observing  them. 

The  rider  on  the  right  of  the  rank  dropped  as 
the  othere  had,  for  most  of  these  men  could 
split  a  bullet  on  a  knife  as  far  as  he  could  see 
the  blade. 


TARDY  MOVEMENTS  OF  THE  ENEMY    271 

Six  men  had  already  fallen.  Another  man  had 
come  forward  to  take  the  command,  probably  the 
second  lieutenant ;  but  he  prudently  refrained 
from  taking  his  place  at  the  head  of  the  col- 
umn. 

"  All  our  front  rank  have  been  killed,  Suin- 
mers!"  exclaimed  some  one  in  the  ranks.  "We 
can't  stand  this  thing ;  we  did  not  come  over  to 
make  a  graveyard,  or  to  fill  one  up.  Take  us  out 
of  this  road  before  we  are  all  killed !  " 

"Out  of  the  road!"  shouted  half  a  dozen 
others. 

"  The  Home  Guard  are  in  that  wood  behind 
the  trees !  "  shouted  another. 

"March  us  into  the  woods,  and  we  will  soon 
clean  them  out ! "  said  one  who  was  certainly 
brave  in  speech.  "Do  something,  or  we  shall 
soon  all  be  a  collection  of  corpses." 

"  Into  the  woods  !  "  yelled  half  a  dozen  more. 

"  Into  the  fields  !  "  cried  some  more. 

"  If  you  will  stop  your  yelling,  I  will  do  some- 
thing," replied  Captain  Summers,  as  he  had  ap- 
parently become  by  the  fall  of  his  two  superior 
officers. 


272  AT   THE   FRONT 

"  Where  is  the  commander-in-chief  ?  He 
ought  to  be  here,"  shouted  another  of  tlie  un- 
ruly gang. 

"  There  goes  another !  "  exclaimed  one  in  what 
was  now  the  front  rank  of  the  company,  as  the 
man  on  the  right  dropped  from  his  saddle. 

The  other  three  could  stand  it  no  longer,  and 
they  wheeled  their  horses,  ran  them  back  to  the 
gateway,  and  then  entered  the  field. 

"Attention,  company!  "  shouted  Captain  Sum- 
mers.    "  Left  wheel,  march  !  " 

The  men  were  ready  enough  to  move  from  the 
place  where  so  many  of  the  company  had  fallen, 
and  the  officer  countermarched  them;  but  they 
wheeled  from  where  they  were  standing  into  the 
column  as  the  rear  came  up  with  them,  for  none 
of  them  wanted  to  go  near  the  place  where  sure 
death  seemed  to  be  their  fate.  The  captain 
marched  as  far  as  the  gateway,  and  there  he  saw 
approaching  him  the  personage  who  had  been 
dignified  as  the  commander-in-chief.  When  he 
came  up  to  the  spot  where  he  stood,  the  captain 
addressed  him  as  "  Colonel  Cameron."  He  was 
a    tall   and  rather    corpulent   man,   with   a   very 


TARDY  MOVEMENTS  OF  THE  ENEMY    273 

red  face.  He  was  riding  very  slowly,  as  though 
a  gallop  did  not  agree  with  his  constitution. 

"  What  are  you  doing,  Lieutenant  Summers  ?  " 

"  I  am  in  command  of  the  fii"st  company,  for 
Grinders  and  Pardell  have  both  fallen  at  the  head 
of  the  column;  and  all  the  rest  of  us  would  have 
gone  down,  too,  if  I  had  not  led  them  way,"  re- 
plied Captain  Summers ;  for  it  was  an  oath-bound 
crowd,  as  it  was  afterwards  learned  from  a  pris- 
oner who  was  about  to  die,  and  one  of  the  rules 
was,  that  when  an  officer  fell,  the  one  who  suc- 
ceeded him  should  take  his  rank. 

"  You  are  not  obeying  my  order,  as  you  are 
sworn  to  do.  Captain  Summers,"  stormed  the 
colonel. 

"  My  men  were  deserting  the  ranks,  as  they 
had  sworn  not  to  do,  and  I  could  not  help  myself, 
sworn  or  not.  If  you  go  fifty  rods  farther  on 
this  road,  Colonel  Cameron,  you  will  want  your 
coffin  as  soon  as  you  get  there." 

"  The  commander  of  a  company  is  not  neces- 
sarily required  to  march  at  the  head  of  his 
column,"  replied  the  colonel,  somewhat  subdued, 
perhaps   by  the   mention   of  the   coffin  he  might 


274  AT    THE    FRONT 

soon  need.  "  I  don't  understand  this  thing. 
Where  are  the  enemy  that  have  done  all  this  mis- 
chief ?  " 

"  They  are  hidden  behind  the  trees.  You  know 
about  the  Home  Guard  of  this  vicinity;  I  sup- 
pose they  are  all  in  those  woods.  They  are  con- 
sidered the  best  riflemen  in  the  State,  and  they 
bring  down  every  man  that  comes  in  front  of 
them.  Captain  Grinders  chose  to  reach  the  vil- 
lage by  the  road,  and  the  men  are  grumbling  be- 
cause we  did  not  come  by  the  fields." 

"  I  ordered  him  to  come  by  the  road,"  said  the 
colonel.  "  Why  didn't  you  attack  the  Home 
Guard  in  the  woods  ?  " 

"  It  is  sure  death  to  go  near  them,"  replied 
Captain  Summers. 

He  had  hardly  spoken  the  words  before  sev- 
eral of  the  company  fell.  It  was  evident  that 
Captain  Ripley  had  moved  his  command  farther 
down  the  gentle  declivity,  and  had  not  obtained 
as  good  a  position  as  before,  for  two  who  had 
been  hit  were  not  killed. 

"  I  will  attack  the  Home  Guard  in  the  woods, 
if  you  say  so.  Colonel,"  added  the  captain. 


TARDY  MOVEMENTS  OF  THE  ENEMY    275 

"Attack  them  at  once,  then,"  added  the  com- 
mander. "  We  have  a  force  of  five  companies, 
witli  a  hundred  men  in  each :  are  we  to  be  sent 
over  the  river  with  nothing  to  sliow  for  our  visit 
because  there  is  a  Home  Guard,  here  ?  Do  your 
duty  as  you  have  sworn  to  do  it!  " 

"I  have  and  will  do  my  duty.  I  want  only 
my  own  company." 

"  That  is  all  you  will  get,  anyhow,"  replied 
Colonel  Cameron. 

"  Attention,  company !  "  commanded  the  cap- 
tain. "  Forward,  guide  right,  march !  "  and  it 
was  evident  enough  to  those  within  hearing  that 
he  was  angry  at  the  words  of  his  superior,  as  he 
had  good  reason   to  he. 

He  was  prudent  enough  to  keep  on  the  right 
flank  of  his  company,  which  he  sent  across  the 
road,  and  then  marched  on  the  edge  of  the  woods 
till  he  came  to  a  fence,  below  which  was  a  farm. 
Keeping  on  the  upper  side  of  it,  he  followed  it 
some  distance,  and  then  wheeled  to  the  left. 
Captain  Ripley  sent  Lieutenant  Butters  with 
about  half  the  company  down  the  gentle  declivity 
to  attend  to  the   enemy  who  had   left  the  road. 


276  AT   THE   FPtONT 

There  was  a  cart-patli  extending  tlirougli  the 
woods  parallel  to  the  highway ;  and  Captain  Sum- 
mers continued  on  his  course  by  the  fence  till  he 
came  to  it,  and  then  wheeled  to  the  left  into  it. 
He  kept  on  the  right  of  his  column  himself,  for 
his  colonel  had  told  him  that  it  was  not  necessary 
to  march  at  the  head  of  it.  Butters  had  sent  a 
scout  down  this  path  to  ascertain  the  position  of 
the  enemy  in  the  woods.  In  a  few  minutes  he 
came  back  at  full  gallop,  and  informed  the  lieu- 
tenant that  the  force  had  taken  the  wagon-track 
through  the  woods. 

Major  Lyon,  whose  battalion  had  been  stationed 
in  the  rear  of  the  riflemen,  had  followed  the  de- 
tachment, and  learned,  when  the  scout  returned, 
that  the  company  of  Captain  Summers  was  moving 
up  the  wood-road.  He  did  not  wait  to  witness 
the  effect  of  the  fire  upon  it,  but  hastened  to  his 
battalion  in  the  rear,  where  he  ordered  the  third 
and  fourth  companies,  under  Captain  Richland  and 
Captain  Artie,  to  follow  him  as  silently  as  possible. 
The  men  wondered  if  it  was  to  be  another  Buck 
Creek  action ;  for  they  followed  the  lead  of  the 
major  till  they  came  to  a  brook,  running  south 


TARDY  MOVEMENTS  OF  THE  ENEMY    277 

into  the  river.  Then  he  turned  to  the  right,  and 
kept  near  the  brook  till  he  came  to  the  fence 
which  bounded  the  farmer's  land.  Following  it, 
he  came  to  the  wood-road  where  Captain  Summers 
had  gone.  He  halted  the  companies  here,  and 
they  were  placed  as  he  directed. 

"  That  company  of  guerillas  will  come  back 
here  within  fifteen  minutes,"  said  the  major,  when 
he  had  called  the  two  captains  to  him.  "  The 
riflemen,  or  one-half  of  them,  are  posted  where 
they  can  open  upon  them.  Each  of  them  is  sure 
to  bring  down  the  one  he  fires  at,  and  that  will 
soon  make  a  panic  among  them,  as  it  did  in  the 
main  road.  They  will  flee  in  this  direction,  for 
they  cannot  go  in  any  other.  Then  you  must 
charge  upon  them,  and  not  let  them  escape.  If 
they  attempt  to  cut  through  the  woods  to  the 
brook  we  followed,  you  must  head  them  off.  As 
the  senior  officer  here.  Captain  Richland,  I  leave 
it  all  to  your  good  judgment  and  discretion." 

"  I  will  do  the  best  I  can.  Major  Lyon.  How 
many  men  will  be  opposed  to  us  ?  " 

"One  company,  about  a  hundred  men,  I  sup- 
pose," replied  Deck. 


278  AT   THE   FflONT 

"  Then  I  will  hand  all  there  are  left  of  them 
over  to  you  in  the  course  of  the  forenoon,"  re- 
plied Captain  Richland,  as  Deck  galloped  off  by 
the  way  he  had  come. 

He  had  not  gone  half  the  distance  back  to  the 
position  of  the  other  two  companies  of  his  com- 
mand when  he  began  to  hear  the  crack  of  the 
rifles  in  the  direction  of  the  road.  The  work  for 
which  he  had  prepared  had  begun;  and  he  has- 
tened back  to  the  point  from  which  he  had  come, 
from  which  he  could  better  see  the  operations  on 
the  field.  But  except  the  reports  of  the  rifles, 
there  was  not  a  sound  to  be  heard  that  indicated 
a  decisive  engagement.  Though  Colonel  Gordon 
had  not  given  him  the  plan  of  the  action,  he 
understood  very  well  from  the  disposition  of  the 
force  what  it  would  be. 

"Whether  the  enemy  approached  the  village  by 
the  road  or  the  fields,  the  batter)^  would  open  fire 
upon  the  column.  Major  Batterson  had  kept  his 
guns  on  the  side  of  the  hill  nearest  to  the  road; 
but  they  could  be  moved  to  the  summit  of  the 
eleA^ation,  where  they  could  be  turned  to  any 
desired  point.     Deck  thought  six  charges  of  can- 


TARDY  MOVEMENTS  OF  THE  ENEMY    279 

ister  or  six  shells  would  create  a  panic  in  the 
four  companies  outside  of  the  woods.  The  major 
moved  about  till  he  obtained  a  position  where  he 
could  see  the  enemy.  The  guerilla  battalion 
was  still  in  the  road,  and  did  not  advance  at  all, 
so  that  Captain  Ripley  and  his  men  were  leav- 
ing an  intermission  in  their  work,  though  they 
did  not  need  or  desire  it.  Colonel  Cameron,  as 
the  riflemen  had  reported  his  name,  could  be 
seen ;  and  he  appeared  to  be  in  consultation  with 
his  four  captains.  But  the  council  of  war  seemed 
to  disagree ;  in  fact,  they  appeared  to  be  in  a  row. 
Of  course  they  all  knew  that  two  officers  had  been 
killed  by  the  sharpshooters ;  and  they  still  be- 
lieved them  to  be  members  of  the  Home  Guard, 
whose  reputation  as  dead  shots,  before  Captain 
Ripley  joined  the  regiment,  was  spread  far  and 
wide. 

"They  are  in  a  regular  muss,"  said  Captain 
Abbey,  who  was  at  the  major's  side. 

"  That  is  what  has  kept  them  occupied  so  long. 
I  wonder  if  they  expect  us  to  wait  all  day  for 
them  to  settle  it,"  added  Deck  facetiously.  "  Per- 
haps we  shall  have  to  settle  it  for  them    by  an 


280  AT   THE  FRONT 

attack.  I  think  I  should  enjoy  charging  into 
that  column." 

"I  laiow  the  men  would  enjoy  it,  for  the 
affair  moves  altogether  too  slow  for  them,"  added 
Captain  Abbey. 

"  I  wonder  how  the  coloneFs  patience  holds 
out,  for  he  hasn't  a  great  stock  of  it  in  an  affair 
of  this  kind,"  said  Deck,  as  he  directed  his  field- 
glass  to  the  summit  of  Grace  Hill.  "He  is  still 
there,  and  it  is  a  lazy  time  for  him." 

"I  think  the  enemy  are  ready  to  make  a  move," 
added  the  captain. 

Deck  looked  down  the  road,  and  saw  that  the 
troopers  were  pulling  down  a  section  of  the  fence 
below  the  gateway. 


THE   GAPTUflE  OF   THE  FIRST   GUERILLAS      281 


CHAPTER   XXI 

THE    CAPTURE    OF    THE   FIRST    GUERILLAS 

Why  the  guerillas  deemed  it  necessary  to  re- 
move a  portion  of  tlie  fence  was  not  apparent  to 
the  two  military  observers  in  the  woods;  for  they 
were  formed  by  fours  in  the  road,  and  the  gate- 
way was  wide  enough  to  permit  their  passage 
without  any  difficulty.  The  line  of  the  riflemen 
extended  from  just  above  the  opening,  and  it  did 
not  reach  down  to  the  rig-ht  of  the  column  where 
it  remained  after  the  departure  of  Captain  Sum- 
mers's company. 

"  It  seems  to  me  they  are  taking  a  great  deal  of 
needless  trouble,  when  there  is  an  opening  wide 
enough  for  them,"  said  Captain  Abbey. 

"  I  think  the  reason  why  they  are  doing  it  is 
plain  enough,"  replied  Major  Lyon.      . 

"I  don't  see  it." 

"  The  head  of  the  column  is  out  of  the  reach 
of  the  bullets  of  the  riflemen,  at  least  for  accurate 


282  AT    THE    FRONT 

firing ;  not  on  account  of  the  distance,  but  the 
trees  obstruct  their  aim  so  far  down  the  road," 
Deck  explained.  "  The  colonel,  as  they  call  him, 
is  in  a  safe  place  just  now,  and  the  sharpshooters 
could  bring  them  down  as  they  turned  in  at  the 
gateway." 

"  I  see  now,"  answered  the  captain.  "  The 
commander  of  the  battalion  evidently  intends  to 
take  proper  care  of  himself,  for  he  has  not  yet 
ventured  above  the  opening  into  the  fields." 

"  But  in  his  next  movement  he  is  likely  to 
"jump  out  of  the  frying-pan  into  the  fire,"  added 
Deck. 

Half  a  dozen  of  the  guerillas  had  dismounted, 
and  were  taking  down- two  lengths  of  rail  fence. 
Doubtless  the  colonel  intended  to  have  his  com- 
mand dash  at  full  gallop  diagonally  across  the 
fields,  and  strike  the  village  in  the  rear.  The 
Home  Guards  were  in  the  w-oods,  and  probably 
he  believed  he  could  easily  overwhelm  them  if 
they  would  come  out  from  cover.  But  a  surprise 
was  in  store  for  him.  Captain  Ripley  had  kept 
the  run  of  the  movements  of  the  enemy;  and 
when  the   men    began  to    remove    the    fence,   he 


THE    CAPTURE    OF    THE    FIRST    GUERILLAS       283 

comprehended  the  intention,  and  marched  his 
men  from  the  covert  of  the  trees  out  into  the 
road. 

He  placed  them  at  once  where  they  could  see 
the  enemy ;  and  then,  without  the  delay  of  a  mo- 
ment, he  raised  his  rifle,  and  fired  at  the  officer 
who  was  overlooking  the  men  at  work  on  the 
fence.  He  had  no  shoulder-straps,  or  other  in- 
dication of  his  rank,  and  probably  he  was  nothing 
but  a  sergeant ;  but  whatever  he  was,  he  suddenly 
fell  over  backwards,  badly  wounded. 

By  this  time  the  shouts  of  an  officer  farther  in 
the  rear  were  heard;  the  whole  company  unslung 
their  muskets,  spurred  their  horses  forward,  and 
dashed  into  the  field  through  the  opening  which 
had  been  made  in  the  fence,  though  the  work  had 
not  yet  been  completed.  But  not  half  the  com- 
pany had  been  able  to  get  through,  for  the  men  and 
horses  had  blocked  the  narrow  opening  made  in 
the  fence.  The  captain  of  the  company  was  on  the 
left  flank,  where  the  mounted  men  were  between 
him  and  the  riflemen.  He  hurried  his  command 
forward,  and  the  lieutenant  Mas  leading  the  rest 
of  the  company  into  the  field  as  fast  as  he  could 


284  AT   THE   FRONT 

get  his  men  through  the  opening.  An  obstinate 
post  prevented  the  squad  removing  the  fence,  and 
the  crowd  pressing  upon  them  prevented  them 
from  completing  their  work. 

The  captain  of  tlie  company  was  a  gallant  fellow, 
though  he  was  reasonabl}^  prudent;  for  it  was  sure 
death  for  him  to  present  himself  at  the  head  of 
his  command.  He  urged  his  men  forward  till 
he  could  plainly  see  the  riflemen ;  and  then  he 
wheeled  them  into  line,  and  ordered  them  to  fire 
at  will,  being  careful  to  take  good  aim.  But 
they  did  not  fire  at  will,  but  nearly  all  at  the 
same  time,  delivering  a  rattling  volley,  which 
killed  one  of  the  sharpshooters,  and  wounded 
two  more  ;  but  three  of  the  enemy  had  fallen 
before  the  fire  from  the  road. 

Captain  Ripley  was  an  elderly  man  of  sixty,  and 
was  less  reckless  than  a  younger  officer  might 
have  been ;  and  he  ordered  his  men  to  fall  back 
into  the  woods  w'here  they  had  been  before.  He 
was  in  no  hurry  about  it,  for  he  knew  that  the 
guerillas  would  have  to  load  their  pieces  before 
they  could  fire  again.  But  the  rest  of  the  com- 
pany, as  they  came  forward,  delivered  a  scattering 


THE   CAPTURE    OP   THE    FIRST    GUERILLAS       285 

fire  ;  but  they  were  not  riflemen,  and  were  armed 
witli  a  variety  of  very  poor  weapons,  and  the  rifle- 
men were  safely  moved  from  the  road. 

Major  Lyon  watched  these  operations  with  great 
interest,  and  he  would  have  been  glad  to  charge 
with  his  two  companies  upon  the  enemy  in  the 
field ;  but  this  was  not  allowable,  for  it  would 
interfere  with  the  colonel's  evident  plan  for  the 
battle.  Captain  Ripley  resumed  his  practice  as 
soon  as  his  men  had  gained  the  covert  of  the 
trees.  The  guerillas  were  still  in  line,  and  the 
company  was  now  filled  by  the  return  of  the  rest 
of  the  command.  The  chief  rifleman  had  re- 
sumed his  usual  tactics,  but  with  an  improvement 
upon  them ;  for  he  had  passed  half  of  his  men,  or 
twenty-five  in  number,  over  to  Lieutenant  Blount, 
placing  them  below  his  own  position,  so  that  their 
rifles  could  cover  the  left  of  the  enemy's  line. 

So  many  of  the  men  fell  before  the  deadly  rifle- 
shots that  the  enemy  were  appalled  by  the  swift 
destruction  that  ,awaited  them,  and  the  left  of 
the  line  broke.  The  right  followed  the  example 
of  the  left,  till  the  whole  company  were  in  full 
retreat  towards  the  hill  near  Corry's  house. 


286  AT   THE   FRONT 

Captain  Halliburn,  after  he  had  seen  the  Home 
Guards  marched  into  tlie  woods,  had  ascended 
Grace  Hill,  to  learn  what  the  colonel  thought  of 
the  progress  of  the  action.  The  two  officers  there 
had  observed  with  great  interest  the  operations  of 
Captain  Ripley  in  the  road ;  but  could  not  see  in 
the  woods,  and  knew  nothing  of  what  Captain 
Summers  was  doing  there,  though  they  had  seen 
his  company  march  in  behind  the  trees  at  the 
fence.  Captain  Halliburn  had  just  come  from 
that  locality.  There  was  no  work  for  the  Home 
Guards,  and  Major  Lyon  had  told  him  that  there 
was  not  likely  to  be  any ;  but  they  soon  had  an 
occupation,  for  events  had  moved  -with  greater 
rapidity  in  the  woods  road  than  Deck  had  anti- 
cipated. 

Captain  Summers,  keeping  on  the  right  flank 
of  his  company,  had  marched  confidently  up  the 
woody  avenue.  He  had  ordered  his  men  to  un- 
sling  their  muskets,  and  be  in  readiness  to  pour  a 
volley  into  the  rear  of  the  line  of  riflemen ;  and 
he  was  confident  that  he  could  drive  them  from 
their  chosen  position,  where  they  were  making  ter- 
rible havoc  among  the  guerillas  in  the  highway. 


THE   CAPTURE    OF   THE   FIRST   GUERILLAS      287 

Lieutenant  Butters  had  formed  his  line  in  the 
woods,  so  that  every  one  of  his  force  had  a  tree 
for  a  rest  and  a  protection  from  the  approaching 
enemy.  None  of  the  riflemen  were  mounted,  and 
their  horses  were  secured  some  distance  in  the 
rear  of  Major  Lyon's  force. 

The  first  platoon  of  the  rifle  company,  which 
was  the  command  of  Butters,  soon  heard  the 
tramp  of  horses'  feet  in  the  road  below  them. 
Butters  looked  for  the  captain  of  the  company 
as  it  approached ;  but  he  was  on  the  farther  side 
of  his  troop,  and  he  could  not  find  him.  He  was 
obliged  to  content  himself  by  taking  the  man  on 
the  right  of  the  first  rank. 

Even  nerves  of  steel  could  not  have  sustained 
the  near  and  absolute  certainty  of  death ;  but 
the  right-hand  man  fell  before  they  decided  to 
escape  their  doom.  The  other  three  wheeled  out 
of  the  rank  to  the  right,  and  fled  into  the  woods. 
The  third  rank  then  were  the  front  of  the  col- 
umn. They  saw  the  open  grave  before  them, 
and  fled  after  the  others.  In  less  than  another 
minute  the  whole  company  were  in  a  panic,  and 
were  fleeing  into  the  shelter  of  the  trees. 


ii»»  AT   THE   FRONT 

Captain  Summers  saw  his  command  break ;  he 
drew  his  sabre,  and  threatened  to  cut  his  men 
down  if  they  did  not  return  to  the  ranks.  He 
made  several  passes  at  them ;  but  a  couple  of 
them  pointed  their  muskets  at  him,  and  assured 
him  they  would  fire  if  he  did  not  sheathe  his 
sabre. 

"Cowards!"  shouted  he  derisively.  "You 
have  sworn  to  obey  your  officer,  but  now  you  re- 
fuse, and  run  like  poltroons  from  your  duty!" 

"Cowards !"  yelled  one  of  them.  "Who  is  the 
coward  that  keeps  himself  behind  his  men,  while 
they  are  shot  down  in  front  of  him?  It  was 
an  easy  thing  for  you.  Captain  Summers,  to  keep 
over  on  the  right  flank,  where  nothing  could  harm 
you,  and  then  call  us  cowards.  You  are  the 
coward !  If  you  had  been  near  the  front,  where 
you  belonged,  you  would  have  been  a  dead  man 
long  before  this  time.  Give  us  a  fair  show,  and 
we  will  stand  by  you  as  we  have  sworn  to  do." 

"We  are  beaten,"  replied  the  captain.  "It  is 
no  use  for  us  to  quarrel  about  it.  Fall  back  out 
of  the  reach  of  the  rifle-balls,  and  I  will  lead 
you   to  the  road  again,  where   Colonel   Cameron 


THE   CAPTUllE   OF   THE   FIRST   GUERILLAS      289 

will  march  you  into  the  open  fields,  out  of  the 
reach  of  the  riflemen  who  are  skulking  behind 
the  trees." 

"  That  looks  more  like  the  fair  thing,  and  we 
are  ready  to  obey  orders,"  replied  the  spokesman 
of  the  men.     "  What  do  you  say,  fellows  ?  " 

"  We  are  all  ready  to  do  our  duty  if  we  have 
fair  play,"  replied  another;  and  something  like  a 
faint  cheer  followed. 

Captain  Summers  was  still  in  the  wood-road, 
though  out  of  the  reach  of  the  bullets.  He 
ordered  the  troopers  to  turn  square  around,  and 
then  marched  them  in  the  direction  of  the  fence, 
the  men  in  the  woods  returning  to  the  ranks  as 
the  rest  moved  forward.  As  they  came  to  the 
end  of  the  road,  Captain  Richland's  company  fell 
upon  the  head  of  the  coluum,  and  Captain  Artie's, 
the  two  platoons  of  which  had  been  concealed 
among  the  trees  on  each  side,  charged  upon  the 
flanks.  Both  captains  were  at  the  head  of  their 
commands,  and  the  onslaught  was  as  furious  as  the 
Riverlawns  were  in  the  habit  of  delivering.  Cap- 
tain Summers  had  placed  himself  at  the  head  of 
his  column.     The  men  had  unsluncf  their  muskets 


290  AT  THE  fho:nt 

in  order  to  fire  into  the  riflemen.  Tliey  had 
sabres. 

"Tlirow  away  your  muskets  !"  shouted  tlie  cap- 
tain, wlio  had  drawn  his  sabre,  and  he  ordered  his 
men  to  do  the  same. 

They  obeyed  these  orders  as  quickly  as  possible 
in  the  confusion ;  but  the  Riverlawns,  two  to 
their  one,  had  overwhelmed  them  at  the  on- 
slaught. The  rest  of  the  fight  was  likely  to  be 
a  slaughter.  Captain  Richland  had  already  dis- 
abled the  commander,  and  he  was  trying  to  es- 
cape. The  attack  had  been  a  perfect  surprise, 
and  the  enemy  were  in  a  panic,  and  were  calling 
for  quarter. 

"Do  you  surrender?"  demanded  Captain  Rich- 
land of  the  wounded  captain. 

"We  are  beaten,  and  I  can  do  nothing  else," 
faintly  replied  the  wounded  commander.  "  I  sur- 
render on  condition  that  we  be  allowed  to  retire 
from  the  field  with  our  horses  and  our  arms." 

"No  conditions!"  exclaimed  the  captain  of  the 
third  company.     "  Shall  the  fight  continue  ?  " 

"No!"  protested  Captain  Summers  earnestly. 
"It  would  be  murder.     Call  off  your  men!" 


THE   CAPTURE    OP   THE    FIRST    GUERILLAS       291 

The  bugler  sounded  the  recall ;  and  the  River- 
lawns  fell  back,  completely  surroundmg  the  en- 
emy. The  first  sergeant  of  the  company  was 
required  to  form  the  command  at  the  end  of  the 
road,  which  was  done  without  any  grumbling  on 
the  part  of  the  vanquished.  With  Captain  Rich- 
land's company  in  the  advance,  and  Captain  Ar- 
tie's in  the  rear,  the  prisoners  were  conducted  to 
the  portion  of  the  woods  occupied  by  Major 
Lyon's  battalion.  Captain  Halliburn  and  the 
Home  Guard  were  there  and  the  major  turned 
the  prisoners  over  to  the  local  military.  They 
were  disarmed,  their  horses  picketed,  and  a  guard 
placed  around  them. 

"  I  think  I  will  go  up  the  hill  and  see  the  colo- 
nel, and  I  will  report  this  affair  to  him,"  said 
Captain  Halliburn,  as  he  mounted  his  horse. 

"  Tell  him  we  are  all  right  down  here,"  said 
Deck,  as  he  started  for  the  highway  to  see  what 
progress  had  been  made  by  the  enemy  in  taking 
a  position  in  the  fields. 

The  affair  in  the  woods  with  Captain  Summers's 
command  had  occurred  even  before  the  squad  be- 
gan to  move  the  portion  of  the  fence,  and  the  pris- 


292  AT   THE    FllO^^T 

oners  had  been  disarmed  before  it  was  completed. 
When  Deck  reached  the  edge  of  the  woods,  he 
found  that  the  entire  battalion  were  already 
through  the  opening,  and  were  moving  to  the 
point  near  the  hill.  Then  the  battery  opened 
upon  the  enemy,  giving  them  another  surprise. 


SURKENDEE,   OF   THE  GUERILLA  CHIEF      293 


CHAPTER   XXII 

SURRENDER   OF  THE   GUERILLA   CHIEF 

Colonel  Gordon  received  the  report  of  Cap- 
tain Halliburn  on  Grace  Hill  of  the  event  in  the 
woods,  which  he  had  not  been  able  to  see  from 
his  elevated  position.  One  of  the  five  companies 
of  the  enemy  had  been  bagged,  and  the  other  fonr 
were  moving  into  the  fields. 

"  This  affair  will  soon  come  to  a  head,"  said 
the  commander,  as  he  wrote  a  couple  of  ordere  on 
his  block,  and  sent  them  off  by  one  of  the  ser- 
geants he  had  provided  for  tliis  purpose,  who 
were  stationed  just  behind  the  crown  of  the  hill, 
where  they  could  not  be  seen  by  the  enemy. 
"  Join  your  company  when  you  have  delivered  the 
order  to  Major  Belthorpe,"  he  added. 

The  ascent  of  the  hill  Avas  on  its  side  and  rear, 
and  was  an  easy  path  for  horses.  Captain  Halli- 
burn had  ridden  to  the  rear  of  the  summit,  where 
one  of  the  sergeants  had  taken  his  horse,  while  he 


294  AT    THE   FRONT 

went  forward  to  the  spot  where  the  colonel  and 
the  staff-officer  were  located. 

"I  should  say  that  it  was  approaching  a  com- 
pletion," replied  Major  Born  wood,  in  answer  to 
the  remark  of  the  commander. 

"  I  have  sent  an  order  to  Major  Belthorpe  to 
move  his  three  companies  to  the  rear  of  the  vil- 
lage, where  he  can  charge  upon  the  guerillas  as 
soon  as  they  have  been  well  shaken  up  by  the 
battery.  Truman's  four  companies  are  ready  to 
move  as  soon  as  I  can  see  where  it  is  best  to 
send  them.  We  have  come  to  the  crisis  of  the 
drama." 

"Ripley  has  taken  his  men  out  into  the  high- 
way, where  he  has  a  better  chance  at  the  enemy 
than  in  the  woods,  and  he  continues  to  drop  the 
guerillas  from  their  saddles." 

"I  shall  send  Truman  down  that  road,  and 
Major  Lyon  already  has  his  orders,"  added  the 
colonel. 

The  battery  had  not  yet  opened  fire ;  but  the 
commander  was  as  confident  of  the  final  result, 
and  tlie  manner  in  which  it  was  to  be  accom- 
plished, as  though  it  had  already  been  achieved. 


SURRENDER   OF   THE   GUERILLA   CHIEF      295 

Major  Batterson  was  allowed  considerable  discre- 
tion in  carrying  out  his  orders.  There  were  sev- 
eral men  who  owned  large  and  valuable  farms  in 
the  vicinity,  and  they  were  looked  upon  as  wealthy 
citizens.  It  was  believed  that  the  troublous  times 
had  caused  them  to  keep  considerable  sums  of 
money  and  all  their  valuables  in  their  residences. 
Of  course  the  guerillas  had  obtained  full  informa- 
tion in  regard  to  the  people  of  the  county. 

They  could  hardly  expect  to  obtain  much  plun- 
der in  such  houses  as  Cony's  and  Perry's ;  but 
they  intended  to  load  their  boats,  some  of  which 
were  of  considerable  size,  with  provisions.  Colo- 
nel Cameron,  who  was  a  lawyer  from  the  capital 
of  a  Tennessee  county,  and  believed  that  he  was 
fighting  for  the  Confederate  cause  even  more 
effectively  than  the  regular  forces,  though  he  was 
the  chief  of  a  horde  of  banditti  only,  entered  the 
fields,  which  were  hardly  divided  except  from 
the  highway.  He  looked  upon  the  riflemen  as 
his  especial  scourge,  as  they  had  certainly  proved 
to  be ;  and  he  headed  his  column  directly  for  the 
hill  near  Corry's  house.  He  anticipated  no  re- 
sistance except  from  the  Home  Guards,  and  be- 


296  AT   THE   FRONT 

lieved  the  sharpshooters  belonged  to  that  body, 
though  their  blue  uniform  was  a  puzzle  to  him. 
Even  up  to  the  moment  when  he  ordered  his  men 
to  march  to  the  hill,  he  exj^ected  to  encounter  no 
enemy  besides  the  local  force. 

His  men  sjDurred  their  horses  to  their  best 
speed,  for  they  were  in  a  hurry  to  get  out  of  the 
reach  of  the  riflemen  in  the  highway.  Colonel 
Cameron  was  a  prudent  man,  and  he  kept  liimseK 
as  well  concealed  as  possible  on  the  left  flank  of 
his  command.  He  saw  many  of  his  men  fall  from 
their  saddles  before  the  fire  of  the  riflemen,  and 
he  urged  his  own  steed  forward  with  both  spurs. 
He  rode  a  better  horse  than  most  of  his  men; 
and  he  soon  came  to  the  head  of  his  column, 
which  then  appeared  to  be  the  safest  position, 
though  he  had  not  reached  the  shelter  of  the 
hill,  where  he  intended  to  halt,  and  take  a  sur- 
vey of  the  surroundings. 

"What  is  Major  Batterson  about?"  said  Colo- 
nel Gordon  on  the  hill;  for  he  had  not  indi- 
cated the  precise  moment  when  he  was  to  fire, 
and  he  began  to  think  the  artillery  were  rather 
dilatory. 


SUKEENDEE    OF    THE   GUERILLA   CHIEF      297 

He  had  hardly  spoken  the  words  before  the 
roar  of  the  first  gun  woke  the  echoes  in  tlie  hills. 

"The  major  is  awake,"  replied  the  staff-officer, 
as  the  cannon  seemed  to  shake  the  ground  upon 
which  they  stood.     "  There's  the  second." 

One  after  another,  with  the  briefest  of  intervals 
between  them,  the  six  guns  of  the  battery  fol- 
lowed each  other,  throwing  shells  into  the  whole 
length  of  the  enemy's  column,  so  spread  out  that 
the  guerillas  should  receive  the  full  benefit  of 
them.  The  missiles  were  scattered  among  the 
men,  and  many  saddles  were  emptied  by  the  vol- 
ley. The  guns  were  promptly  reloaded  with  can- 
ister, and  discharged  into  the  paralyzed  column 
of  the  enemy,  producing  even  greater  havoc  than 
the  shells. 

"That  was  admirably  done!"  exclaimed  Major 
Bornwood;  for  he  knew  that  the  guerillas  in- 
cluded hardly  a  decent  man  among  them,  though 
a  few  of  them  proved  to  be  educated  men,  and 
some  of  them  were  dressed  like  gentlemen, 
whether  they   were   such   or   not. 

"I  thought  the  major  Avas  a  little  dilatory  at 
first,  but  he  has  come  to  time  as  he  always  does," 


298  AT   THE   FRONT 

added  tlie  colonel.  "  We  missed  liim  greatly  at 
Pittsburg  Landing ;  for  he  is  a  very  capable 
officer,  and  is  an  expert  in  artillery  practice." 

"  He  has  just  proved  that  in  the  most  satisfac- 
tory manner." 

"  We  are  ready  for  the  next  act  of  the  drama," 
—  though  he  could  well  have  called  it  the  tra- 
gedy,—  said  the  colonel,  as  he  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  the  field  beyond  the  village. 

Major  Belthorpe  appeared  at  the  head  of  his 
battalion  the  moment  the  last  gun  of  the  battery 
had  been  discharged.  The  leader  evidently  saw 
at  a  glance  the  situation  of  the  enemy;  for  the 
companies  separated  as  soon  as  they  were  fairly 
on  the  field,  that  of  Captain  Gadsbury  going 
to  the  left.  Captain  Barnes's  to  the  centre,  and 
Captain  Knox's  to  the  right  for  the  head  of  the 
column.  At  the  same  moment  the  head  of  Major 
Truman's  battalion  appeared  in  the  highway,  and 
galloped  down  to  the  gateway,  through  which  it 
passed,  and  went  to  the  left  of  the  guerilla  col- 
umn. The  riflemen  could  no  longer  act  in  their 
usual  role ;  and  the  men  liad  slung  their  rifles, 
returned  to  the  wood,  and  mounted  their  horses. 


SURRENDER   OF   THE   GUERILLA  CHIEF      299 

It  was  now  friend  and  foe  on  the  field,  and  their 
"  occupation  was  gone  "  for  tlie  present. 

Precisely  at  the  moment  when  the  other  Union 
columns  moved,  ]\Iajor  Lyon  led  his  battalion  into 
the  highway,  and  Captain  Ripley  led  his  com- 
mand into  the  field,  and  took  his  place  on  the 
left  of  Belthorpe's  battalion.  Practically,  Deck's 
command  had  become  the  reserve,  though  it  did 
not  look  as  though  it  would  be  called  into  the 
action.  The  force  thus  placed  did  not  lose  a 
moment  in  charging  upon  the  guerilla  column. 

The  enemy  were  surprised,  bewildered,  and 
paralyzed  anew  by  this  sudden  display  of  an  over- 
whelming force  whose  existence  in  that  locality 
they  had  not  even  suspected.  Colonel  Gordon 
on  the  hill  looked  down  on  the  panorama  before 
him  with  the  satisfaction  of  an  already  victorious 
commander.  Everything  had  worked  precisely  as 
he  had  arranged  it,  and  it  was  now  only  a  ques- 
tion of  a  few  minutes  before  the  end  would 
come.  The  guerillas  were  outnumbered  by  more 
than  two  to  one.  Each  of  their  companies  had 
more  than  an  equal  force  on  both  sides,  and  both 
charged  upon  them  at  nearly  the  same  moment. 


300  AT   THE   FRONT 

Captain  Life  Knox  had  hewn  his  path  through 
the  terrified  company  nearest  to  the  hill ;  and  as 
he  always  looked  for  the  biggest  game  on  the 
field,  he  discovered  Colonel  Cameron,  and  "went 
for  him  "  with  uplifted  sabre,  ready  to  cleave  his 
skull  in  twain.  He  wore  something  like  a  pair  of 
shoulder-straps,  and  Life  readily  recognized  him 
as  the  commander  of  the  l)anditti.  When  he  was 
about  to  strike,  the  leader  lowered  his  sword  to 
his  side,  and  raised  his  rein-hand  in  the  air. 

"I  surrender!"  cried  he  with  all  the  strength 
of  his  lungs,  which  were  not  at  all  weak,  for  he 
meant  that  his  assailant  should  hear  him. 

"What  do  you  mean  by  that?  "  demanded  Life. 
"  You  are  the  commander  of  this  gang,  I  take  it, 
from  the  badge  on  your  shoulders.  Do  you  mean 
that  you  surrender  your  own  body  only,  or  that 
you  surrender  your  battalion  ?  " 

"The  battalion,"  replied  Colonel  Cameron;  and 
he  seemed  to  be  actually  trembling  with  fear,  — 
a  complaint  which  had  troubled  him  from  the 
beginning  of  the  action. 

Major  Belthorpe  was  near ;  and  Life  called  him 
by  name,  for  he  thought  the   subject  was  rather 


SURRENDER    OF    THE    GUERILLA    CHIEF      301 

too  big  for  him  to  handle.  The  major  rode  over 
to  the  spot  on  the  left  of  the  column  where  the 
leader  had  kept  himself  out  of  harm's  way  as  well 
as  he  could.  Undoubtedly  he  was  a  great  bully, 
and  had  probably  made  his  reputation  by  bluster. 

"What  is  the  matter,  Captain  Knox?"  he  asked. 
as  he  approached. 

"This  fellow  is  the  colonel,"  replied  Life  irrev- 
erently.     "  He  says  he  surrenders  the  battalion." 

Major  Belthorpe  sent  an  order  for  the  bugler 
to  blow  the  recall. 

"What  do  you  mean  by  calling  me  a  'fel- 
low'?" demanded  the  guerilla  colonel,  after  he 
had  heard  the  order  from  the  commander  of  the 
Union  battalion. 

"Well,  I  don't  think  you  are  much  of  a  fel- 
low," laughed  Life. 

"  I  have  surrendered,  and  no  more  fighting  is 
to  be  done,"  answered  the  guerilla  chief,  retreat- 
ing a  few  paces,  and  apparently  not  disposed  to 
use  any  more  dangerous  epithets,  at  least  so  far 
as  the  tall  Kentuckian  was  concerned. 

The  bugle  sounded  the  recall,  and  was  rej^eated 
by  other  commands ;  for  it  could  be  seen  that  the 


302  AT   THE   FRONT 

fighting  had  ceased  at  the  head  of  the  column. 
Colonel  Gordon,  who  had  descended  the  hill,  and 
was  riding  across  the  field  to  the  head  of  his  col- 
umn, heard  the  recall,  and  hastened  to  the  side  of 
the  major.  Captain  Knox  saw  the  a^Dproach  of 
the  commander  of  the  force  ;  and  as  Colonel  Cam- 
eron was  still  mounted,  he  kept  an  eye  on  him, 
believing  he  was  mean-spirited  enough  to  run 
away  if  he  saw  an  opportunity. 

"  See  here,  you  fellow,  what  is  your  name  ?  " 
asked  Life,  renewing  the  conversation  with  the 
chief  of  the  enemy. 

Cameron  looked  at  the  captain  with  all  the 
contempt  he  dared  to  put  into  his  expression  be- 
fore he  replied ;  and  then  he  spoke,  swelling  him- 
self up,  and  elevating  his  head. 

"I  am  Colonel  Cameron,  in  command  of  this 
force  from  Tennessee,  a  member  of  the  bar.  I 
have  surrendered,  and  "  — 

"No,  you  haven't;  for  you  have  your  sabre  at 
your  side.  Here  is  Colonel  Gordon,  in  command 
of  the  Union  force.  Come  over  here,  and  give  up 
your  sword. 

Life  took  the  rein  of  the  horse  of  the  gentle- 


SCIIIIENDER   OF   THE   GUERILLA   CHIEF      303 

man  from  Tennessee,  and  led  him  into  the  pres- 
ence of  the  colonel. 

"  Colonel  Gordon,  the  fortune  of  the  day  com- 
pels me  to  surrender  my  sword,  which  is  a 
hard  thing  for  a  brave  man  to  do  when  the 
battle  has  gone  against  him,"  said  Cameron,  as 
he  presented  his  sword  to  the  Union  commander, 
the  handle  towards  the  receiver. 

Colonel  Gordon  took  the  sword,  and  he  took  in 
the  man  at  the  same  time. 

But  the  guerilla  chief  had  something  more  to 
say. 


304  AT   THE   FRONT 


CHAPTER    XXIII 

THE    DISPOSAL    OF    THE   PRISONERS 

Captain  Sxhscmers's  company  was  still  in  the 
woods  where  they  had  lain  down  their  arms,  and 
a  message  was  sent  to  Major  Lyon  to  have  them 
marched  out  upon  the  field. 

"  I  neglected  to  ask  you,  Colonel  Gordon,  upon 
what  terms  I  surrender  ?  "  said  Cameron ;  for  the 
commander  did  not  recognize  him  as  a  colonel, 
and  Captain  Halliburn  had  told  him  that  he  had 
no  commission  of  any  kind,  not  even  as  a  "par- 
tisan "  ranger. 

"No  terms  whatever,  Mr.  Cameron,"  replied 
the  commander  of  the   Union  force. 

"  I  address  you  as  Colonel  Gordon ;  and  it 
would  be  more  polite  for  you  to  use  the  same 
courtesy  towards  me,  and  speak  to  me  as  Colonel 
Cameron." 

"Are  you  a  colonel?" 

"I  am." 


THE    DISPOSAL    OF    THE    PRISONERS  305 

"By  what  authority?" 

"By  the  election  of  the  captains  of  my  bat- 
talion." 

"  Have  you  a  commission  of  the  so-called  Con- 
federate States  of  America  ?  "  asked  the  colonel. 

"  I  have  not ;  but  I  have  one  signed  by  all  the 
captains  of  my  battalion." 

"  That  is  no  commission  at  all ;  only  a  certifi- 
cate of  your  election.  You  are  not  a  colonel  by 
the  authority  of  your  government;  and  I  decline 
to  recognize  you  as  such,  or  to  apply  the  title  to 
you.  If  you  were  a  regular  Confederate  com- 
mander, I  should  be  happy  to  treat  you  with  the 
utmost  courtesy,  and  to  give  you  such  terms  as 
the  situation  would  warrant." 

"I  have  been  told  that  there  is  no  such  thing 
as  chivalry,  delicacy,  or  decency  in  Yankee  offi- 
cers, and  I  believe  it,"  muttered  Cameron. 

"  Your  opinion  is  a  matter  of  entire  indifference 
to  me.  You  are  the  leader  of  a  gang  of  guerillas, 
banditti,  lawless  ruffians,  having  no  standing  what- 
ever in  the  Confederate  arm}-.  You  are  no  gen- 
tleman, as  I  have  had  occasion  to  say  before.  I 
shall  Avaste  no  more  of  my  time  upon  you.     You 


306  AT    THE    P^IIONT 

surrendered,  and,  so  far  as  I  know,  your  command 
acquiesce  in  that  step ;  and  you  have  saved  your 
life,  Mr.  Cameron,  and  the  lives  of  your  followers. 
I  shall  turn  you  over  to  the  Home  Guard  of  this 
locality,  and  Captain  Halliburn  will  dispose  of  you 
as  he  thinks  best.     I  have  nothing  more  to  say." 

"  But  I  have  something  more  to  say,  and 
I  am  going  to  say  it,"  protested  the  guerilla 
chief. 

"I  decline  to  hear  it,"  added  Colonel  Gordon. 

"But  you  shall  hear  me!" 

"  Silence,  sir !  I  will  hand  you  over  to  Cap- 
tain Knox,  to  be  committed  to  the  county  jail  as 
a  robber  and  marauder!"  interposed  the  colonel. 

This  threat  was  enough  to  close,  and  keep 
closed,  the  mouth  of  the  guerilla  chief.  The  first 
company  of  the  band,  which  had  been  captured 
and  disarmed  by  Major  Lyon's  force,  was  marched 
on  foot  into  the  field,  and  the  prisoners  were 
drawn  \\p  in  line.  They  were  disarmed  by  the 
men  in  front  of  them ;  and  the  weapons,  including 
sabres,  muskets,  and  pistols,  were  carted  up  to  the 
village,  and  placed  in  a  barn.  The  men  seemed 
to   be    anxious    to   know    what   was    to   be   done 


THE   DISPOSAL    OF    THE    PRISONERS  307 

with  them ;  and  some  of  the  troopers  whom  they 
asked,  told  them  they  were  not  good  enough  to 
hang,  and  were  fit  only  to  feed  the  buzzards. 
But  it  was  not  proper  for  them  to  answer  in 
this  manner  after  the  surrender,  and  not  many 
of  them  did  so. 

While  the  prisoners  were  still  in  line,  Colonel 
Gordon  called  the  commander  of  the  Home  Guard 
to  him ;  and  a  consultation,  which  included  Major 
Bornwood,  followed.  There  had  been  about  five 
hundred  men  in  the  guerilla  force,  and  at  least 
a  hundred  of  them  had  been  killed  or  wounded; 
but  there  was  still  a  large  body  of  them  left. 

"  Of  course  we  cannot  take  the  prisoners  with 
us  on  the  march,"  said  Colonel  Gordon.  "  It  is 
now  eleven  o'clock,  and  as  soon  as  the  men  and 
horses  have  had  their  dinners  my  command  will 
leave.  I  turn  all  the  prisoners  over  to  you,  Cap- 
tain Halliburn." 

''Good  Heaven!"  exclaimed  this  gentleman. 
"  What  shall  I  do  with  them  ?  The  jail  at  James- 
town is  not  big  enough  to  hold  them,  and  I  almost 
wish  you  had  killed  the  rest  of  them.  This  is  a 
question  of  the  greatest  embarrassment  to  me." 


308  AT    THE    FRONT 

"I  see  that  it  must  be;  but  what  can  I  do?" 
inquired  the  colonel.  "  I  have  to  obey  the  orders 
of  the  general,  who  is  represented  in  this  State 
at  the  present  time  by  INIajor  Bornwood.  Perhaps 
he  can  suggest  something." 

"I  don't  know  that  I  can,"  replied  the  staff-offi- 
cer. "If  we  send  them  to  the  prison-camp  near 
Chicago,  they  are  not  soldiers  of  the  Confederate 
army,  and  they  might  be  an  embarrassment  to  the 
government  on  that  account." 

"  Why  so  ?  "  inquired  the  colonel. 

"I  don't  know  what  view  would  be  taken  of 
the  question  if  it  came  to  an  issue ;  but  we  will 
suppose  a  case.  If  the  United  States  wanted  to 
exchange  four  hundred  prisoners  of  war,  held  in 
Libby  Prison  or  elsewhere  in  the  South,  would  the 
Confederate  government  be  willing  to  accept  the 
four  hundred  men  we  have  here  for  the  same 
number  of  Union  prisoners  captured  from  the 
Federal  army?  I  can't  answer  this  question  my- 
self, for  I  don't  think  a  case  like  it  has  ever  come 
up  for  adjudication." 

"  I  am  sure  I  can't  answer  it,"  added  the 
colonel. 


THE   DISPOSAL    OF    THE    PUISONEKS  309 

"It  is  entirely  out  of  the  reach  of  my  logic," 
said  the  captain. 

"  But  we  may  get  a  little  better  undei-standing 
of  it  by  examining  the  facts  in  the  case.  Who 
and  what  are  these  men  who  appear  here  as  sol- 
diers, capturing  property  of  any  kind  they  cftn 
lay  their  hands  upon  ?  I  know  nothing  about 
them,"  continued  the  staff-officer. 

"  I  am  certain  I  do  not,  for  I  came  from  the 
other  side  of  the  Ohio,"  added 'the  colonel. 

"  I  am  a  Kentuckian,  though  I  was  born  in 
Louisville,  which  is  farther  from  here  than  some 
parts  of  Ohio,"  added  Major  Bornwood.  "  Cap- 
tain Halliburn  lives  in  this  village,  and  perhaps 
he  can  give  us  some  information." 

o 

"  I  am  nearly  seventy  years  old,  and  I  have 
lived  here  all  my  life.  I  have  been  engaged  in 
business  which  required  me  to  travel  all  over  this 
State  and  Tennessee.  I  have  raised  more  horses 
than  any  other  man  in  Russell  County,  and  I 
went  about  to  sell  them  when  I  was  a  younger 
man.     I  think  I  know  just  what  these  men  are." 

"  Then,  we  are  glad  to  hear  from  you,"  said  the 
colonel. 


310  Al   THE   FRONT 

"  I  don't  say  that  Tennessee  is  any  woi-se  than 
Kentucky,  for  I  don't  believe  it  is,"  the  captain 
proceeded.  "  I  have  spent  a  great  many  days 
and  nights  about  the  small  hotels  of  both  States, 
and  they  seem  to  me  to  be  very  much  alike.  I 
think  both  of  you  know  what  sort  of  men  they 
are  that  loiter  about  these  public-houses,  and 
especially  in  the  bar-rooms.  They  drink,  gamble, 
and  a  good  many  of  them  will  steal  when  they 
get  a  chance.  Some  of  them  enlisted  in  the 
Confederate  army,  and  more  of  them  would  not 
do  so  because  they  could  not  stand  the  discipline ; 
and  the  last  class  are  the  worst  of  the  tribe,  either 
in  Tennessee  or  Kentucky.  In  my  opinion,  the 
members  of  this  gang  of  guerillas  belonged  to  this 
class." 

"  Just  such  a  rabble  of  ruffians  as  attempted 
to  burn  the  mansion-house  of  Colonel  Lyon  at 
Riverlawn.  They  lived  on  whiskey,  and  had  no 
more  conscience  than  a  millstone,"  added  Colonel 
Gordon.  "  They  are  no  help  to  the  Confederacy ; 
for  not  many  of  them  will  fight  its  battles,  and 
the  more  it  has  of  them  the  poorer  it  is." 

"  I    think  we   are  getting  some  idea   of    what 


THE    DISPOSAL    OF    THE   PKISONERS  311 

these  men  are,  and  my  idea  of  them  was  about 
what  the  captain  states.  I  don't  think  the  Con- 
federacy will  be  quite  willing  to  exchange  solid 
soldiers  for  these  fellows,  though  they  came  from 
Tennessee." 

"  Soldiers  would  not  be  guilty  of  doing  their 
kind  of  work,"  added  Captain  Halliburn.  "  What 
are  they  ?  They  came  across  the  river  to  rob, 
steal,  plunder.  They  have  done  a  great  deal  of 
this  kind  of  work.  The  houses  of  Corry  and 
Perry  would  have  been  pillaged,  and  the  bread 
taken  from  the  mouths  of  their  children,  if  Colonel 
Gordon's  command  had  not  come  along  by  acci- 
dent; for  my  Home  Guard  would  have  been  out- 
numbered five  to  one,  and  we  could  not  have 
prevented  the  village,  and  the  houses  and  barns 
around  it,  from  being  plundered.  What  they  are 
doing  is  not  warfare  ;  it  is  simply  robbery,"  and 
the  captain  waxed  very  indignant  as  he  proceeded, 
and  the  others  sympathized  with  him. 

"  The  question  is  still,  what  shall  be  done  with 
the  four  hundred  prisoners  ?  "  interposed  Colonel 
Gordon,  as  he  looked  at  his  watch. 

"  You  have  to  march  in  accordance  with  your 


312  AT   THE   FP.ONT 

orders ;  but  these  ruffians  must  not  be  left  near 
this  village,  for  I  believe  they  would  burn  every 
house  in  and  around  it  if  you  left  them  here," 
said  the  captain.  "  Every  man  would  lose  all  the 
money  he  had  in  the  world,  to  say  nothing  of  all 
the  provisions  in  his  cellar  and  storehouse.  If 
you  leave  them  here,  we  shall  be  at  the  mere}'-  of 
these  ruffians,  filled  with  revenge  over  their  re- 
treat." 

"  Drive  them  over  the  river !  "  exclaimed  jNIa- 
jor  Bornwood.  "  I  don't  see  that  you  can  do 
anything  else  with  them." 

"  But  they  will  come  back  again  as  soon  as  this 
force  is  out  of  sight,"  the  captain  objected.  "I 
had  a  good  force  here  before  half  of  them  enlisted 
in  the  Riverlawn  regiment." 

"  I  think  the  captain  is  right,  and  it  would  not 
be  right  to  leave  the  people  here  at  the  mercy 
of  these  villains.  Is  there  a  magistrate  near 
here  ?  "  said  the  major. 

"I  am  a  magistrate  myself,"  replied  Captain 
Halliburn. 

"  Then  I  advise  you  to  issue  a  warrant  for  the 
arrest  of  the  officers  of  the  battalion,  and  commit 


THE   DISPOSAL    OF    THK   PUISONERS  313 

them  to  the  Jamestown  jail.  Have  you  the  evi- 
dence at  hand  ?  " 

"  I  have  ;  plenty  of  it.  I  will  do  as  you  sug- 
gest; but  it  will  never  amount  to  anything,  for 
you  could  not  get  a  jury  to  convict  them  of 
robbery,  even  if  it  is  clearly  proved." 

"  No  matter  for  that ;  we  are  only  trying  to  get 
rid  of  them  for  the  present.  Bring  out  the  Home 
Guard,  and  hand  the  six  officers  over  to  them  for 
safe  keeping.  Colonel  Gordon  will  immediately 
drive  the  rest  of  them  out  of  the  State." 

"  I  am  all  ready  to  do  it ;  for  I  see  that  the 
horses  have  been  fed,  and  the  men  have  eaten 
their  dinners  from  their  haversacks.  Give  the 
marauders  their  horses,  for  they  need  them  to 
swim  them  over  the  river,"  added  the  colonel,  as 
the  trio  moved  over  to  the  regiment.  The  Home 
Guard  were  at  hand ;  and  the  commander  ordered 
Captain  Knox  to  arrest  the  officers,  and  hand  them 
over  to  the  local  force. 

"  One  thing  more.  Colonel  Gordon.  I  suggest 
that  you  leave  your  eighth  company  here  for  the 
protection  of  the  place,  and  insist  that  a  guard 
shall  be  on  the  bank  of  the  river  night  and  day 


314  AT   THE    FRONT 

as  long  as  there  is  any  danger  of  the  miscreants 
returning;  and  the  riflemen  will  be  as  good  as  a 
brigade  on  that  duty." 

"If  you  desire  me  to  do  so,  I  shall  regard  it 
as  the  Avish  of  the  general,  and  shall  comply  at 
once,"  replied  the  commander. 

"  I  am  on  the  staff  of  the  general ;  and  if  I 
found  it  necessary  to  exercise  his  authority  in 
certain  cases,  I  might  do  so ;  but  I  prefer  to  dis- 
charge-my  duties  without  any  friction,  and  I  have 
met  with  such  a  kind  spirit  in  this  State  that  I 
have  not  been  obliged  to  mention  my  authority. 
Please  to  inform  Captain  Halliburn  that  Ripley's 
company  will  remain  here  for  the  present,"  added 
the  major,  with  abundant  suavity. 

The  colonel  gave  the  order  at  once,  and  Cap- 
tain Halliburn  received  it  with  the  most  profound 
satisfaction. 

"I  thank  you.  Colonel  Gordon,  for  this  order." 

"  Thank  Major  Bornwood,  if  anybody,  for  he 
advised  it,"  replied  the  commander. 

Major  Belthorpe  gave  the  order  to  Captain  Rij)- 
ley,  and  it  was  immediately  proclaimed  to  the 
men.      The  village  and  its  vicinity  contained  their 


THE   DISPOSAL   OF   THE   PRISONERS  315 

homes,  and  they  were  not  sony  for  the  informa- 
tion. The  Home  Guard  had  arrested  the  guerilla 
officers ;  and  Cameron  swore  like  a  pirate,  and 
protested  with  all  his  might,  but  his  custodians 
only  laughed  at  him. 

The  majors  were  then  directed  to  form  the  pris- 
oners in  their  own  companies,  and  march  them 
down  to  the  river.  Captain  Halliburn  went  with 
them,  and  found  considerable  plunder  which  the 
ruffians  had  taken  from  the  houses  they  had 
sacked,  the  owners  of  which  were  standing 
around,  observing  the^  operations  of  the  soldiers. 
The  captain  called  three  of  them  who  had  been 
robbed,  and  told  them  if  they  could  find  any 
property  that  belonged  to  them,  to  take  posses- 
sion of  it. 

The  plunder  was  on  the  grass  near  the  boats 
of  the  guerillas,  guarded  by  six  men  with  mus- 
kets in  their  hands.  The  prisoners  had  been 
conducted  to  the  landing  by  a  company  of  Ma- 
jor Belthorpe's  battalion  on  each  flank,  and  an- 
other in  the  rear. 

"  Who  are  you  ?  "  demanded  the  major,  Avhen 
he  came  to  the  corporal  in  charge  of  the  guard. 


31G  AT  THE  rr.oNT 

"  I  am  the  corporal  of  the  guard  in  charge  of 
the  goods  here,"  replied  the  man. 

"  Captain  Knox,  see  that  those  men  are  dis- 
armed, and  the  owners  of  the  property  be  al- 
lowed to  take  it  away,"  said  the  major. 

The  corporal  objected  to  giving  np  his  musket 
and  sabre.  Life  reasoned  with  him ;  and  the  re- 
sult of  the  argument  was  that  he  Avas  pitched 
about  a  rod,  and  the  weapons  taken  from  him. 
He  did  not  a})pear  to  understand  that  the  gueril- 
las had  surrendered.  The  owners  of  the  goods 
carried  them  off ;  and  the  men  who  had  boats 
were  driven  into  them,  leading  their  horses,  and 
the  rest  of  the  force  were  compelled  to  take  to 
the  river  and  swim  across.  The  work  was  ac- 
complished ;  and  Captain  Ripley's  company  was 
stationed  on  the  shore,  to  see  that  the  guerillas 
went  over  the  river.  The  rest  of  the  Union 
command  was  formed,  and  the  march  to  Bark- 
ville  was  resumed. 


THE   BOOT    ON    THE   OTHER    LEG  317 


CHAPTER   XXIV 

THE    BOOT    ON    THE    OTHER    LEG 

It  was  plain  enough  to  the  observers  that  the 
guerillas,  driven  into  the  river  on  their  hoi-ses, 
were  dissatisfied  in  the  last  degree  with  the  re- 
sult of  their  visit  across  the  river.  Doubtless 
they  had  expected  to  return  with  a  greater  or 
less  quantity  of  booty,  which  they  expected  to 
steal  from  the  houses  of  the  farmers  and  others 
in  the  vicinity.  It  was  comparatively  a  rich 
neighborhood,  and  the  houses  they  were  to  visit 
were  well  furnished  generally ;  but  their  proceed- 
ings had  been  interruj)ted  by  the  riflemen  and 
the  battery  guns,  and  they  had  been  miserably 
defeated  before  they  reached  the  richest  part  of 
the  territory  they  intended  to  lay  under  contri- 
bution. 

In  the  few  houses  they  had  visited  near  the 
Cumberland  River,  they  had  gathered  up  consid- 
erable plunder.     In  the  heap  of  goods  from  which 


318  AT    THE    FRONT 

the  owners  had  claimed  their  property  there  were 
several  clocks,  the  ornaments  of  mantel  shelves, 
bundles  of  bedding,  and  such  other  articles  as 
they  could  carry  to  the  shore  on  their  horses. 
They  had  several  large  flatboats  for  the  convey- 
ance of  their  plunder  across  the  river,  though 
they  had  not  been  able  to  gather  up  the  most 
valuable  portion  of  what  they  expected  to  obtain. 

They  were  plainly  unwilling  to  return  to  the 
other  side  of  the  river  after  they  had  seen  the 
departure  of  the  main  body  of  the  Union  force, 
and  a  considerable  number  of  them  had  turned 
their  horses  in  the  water,  and  struck  out  for  the 
shore.  But  Captain  Ripley's  company  had  been 
stationed  on  the  bluff  just  above  the  landing- 
place,  and  Colonel  Gordon  had  ordered  them  to 
shoot  the  ruffians  if  they  attempted  to  return. 
The  guerillas  had  been  deprived  of  their  arms, 
even  to  the  pistols  which  many  of  them  carried; 
and  it  was  madness  for  them  to  attempt  to  renew 
the  business  which  had  brought  them  over  before. 

There  appeared  to  be  about  twenty  or  twenty- 
five,  led  by  a  big  fellow,  who  were  disposed  to 
contest  the  ground  with  the  Home  Guard,  though 


He  was  hit  in  tue  Head 


Page  319 


I 


THE   BOOT    ON    THE    OTHER    LEG  319 

it  was  difficult  to  conjecture  what  they  intended 
to  accomplish,  without  a  weapon  of  any  kind 
among  them.  Captain  Ripley  was  not  disposed 
to  believe  the  ruffians  would  be  guilty  of  any  such 
madness,  and  he  was  not  inclined  to  shoot  them 
in  the  water.  It  was  a  hard  struggle  for  the 
horses,  for  even  at  the  low  stage  of  the  river  there 
was  a  considerable  current;  but  the  ridei^s  spurred 
them  on  so  that  they  made  some  progress  towards 
the  opposite  shore. 

The  captain  of  the  riflemen  was  forced  to  the 
conclusion  that  the  party  following  the  stalwart 
leader  meant  to  reach  the  shore,  and  pointing  his 
rifle  at  him,  he  fired.  He  w^as  hit  in  the  head, 
and  springing  up  from  his  saddle,  he  came  down 
in  the  water.  He  made  no  effort  to  cling  to  his 
horse,  and  sank  out  of  sight.  His  followers  were 
appalled  at  this  sharp  practice ;  and  perhaps  they 
were  not  aware  that  the  rifle  company  had  been 
left  at  the  place  for  the  protection  of  the  village, 
though  they  wore  the  blue  uniform  of  the  national 
anny . 

The  Home  Guard,  wearing  no  uniform,  were 
near   the    landing-place,   and  doubtless   the  reck- 


320  AT   THE  FRONT 

less  maraudere  expected  to  encounter  only  this 
force.  If  they  had  opened  their  eyes,  they  could 
not  have  helped  seeing  the  riflemen  on  the  bluff, 
though  they  were  partially  concealed  by  a  thicket 
of  bushes.  But  the  effect  of  the  fatal  shot  was 
soon  realized ;  for  the  gang  in  advance  soon  turned 
their  horses,  and  joined  in  the  struggle  with  the 
others  to  reach  the  Tennessee  shore.  The  animals 
were  not  trained  swimmers,  like  those  of  the  ori- 
ginal companies  of  the  Riverlawns.  Not  another 
shot  came  from  the  riflemen  while  the  ruffians 
continued  their  efforts  to  reach  the  other  side. 
But  the  present  defenders  of  the  town  watched 
them  for  a  couple  of  hours,  when  the  last  of  them 
had  effected  a  landing  in  the  creek  from  which 
they  had  embarked  the  day  before ;  but  they 
carried  no  plunder  of  any  kind  to  their  homes, 
which  Captain  Halliburn  thought  were  located 
in  several  counties. 

In  the  meantime,  the  Riverlawn  regiment  and 
the  battery  continued  their  march.  Major  Bom- 
wood  had  telegraphed  to  the  postmaster  at  Bark- 
ville  to  ascertain  if  the  town  was  in  any  danger  of 
a  raid  from  any  quarter,  and  had  received  a  reply 


THE   BOOT   ON   THE   OTHER   LEG  321 

at  Jamestown.  The  place  was  in  no  present  peril, 
though  a  band  of  guerillas  was  said  to  be  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Glasgow  in  Barren  County.  The 
command  of  Colonel  Gordon  moved  leisurely ;  for 
the  troopers  had  been  actively  employed  for  sev- 
eral days,  and  there  was  no  need  of  hurrying. 

In  the  vicinity  of  what  is  now  Bakertown,  the 
officers  who  had  been  over  the  road  before  had 
observed  a  mansion  on  the  hill,  which  they  had 
learned  was  occupied  by  Mr.  Bickworth,  who  was 
said  to  be  a  Secessionist,  though  he  took  no  active 
part  in  any  of  the  commotions  which  kept  the 
State  in  a  turmoil  much  of  the  time.  He  was 
past  the  military  age,  but  he  had  refused  to  con- 
tribute to  the  purchase  of  an  equipment  of  a 
Home  Guard  in  the  adjoining  counties  of  INIetcalf 
and  Cumberland.  If  this  was  an  overt  act  against 
the  Union,  it  was  the  only  one  that  had  been 
charged  to  him. 

He  was  believed  to  be  a  wealthy  man ;  and  it 
was  generally  supposed  that  he  had  money  con- 
cealed in  his  house,  for  he  paid  his  bills  with  the 
greatest  promptness.  He  lived  "  within  his  OAvn 
shell,"  and  seldom  mingled   with  liis    neighbors. 


322  AT    THE    FRONT 

He  had  no  family  at  his  home ;  for  his  wife  had 
died  years  before,  and  his  two  sons  were  in  busi- 
ness in  China.  The  recent  raids  into  the  State 
had  induced  the  people  to  enlist  a  Home  Guard 
for  the  protection  of  their  families  and  their  prop- 
erty, and  Mr.  Bickworth  had  declined  to  give  any 
money  for  the  purchase  of  arms  for  the  company. 
The  Union  people,  not  all  of  whom  were  peace- 
able and  law-abiding  citizens,  were  indignant 
against  him,  and  called  him  a  Secessionist,  as  he 
admitted  himself ;  but  he  took  no  part  with  them 
in  disturbing  the  peace  of  the  county  or  the 
State. 

The  highway  by  which  the  regiment  pursued 
its  march  passed  the  entrance  to  a  private  road 
leading  to  the  gentleman's  residence.  There  ap- 
peared to  be  a  commotion  near  it;  and  in  a  field 
on  one  side  of  the  road  the  Home  Guard  recently 
gathered  were  drilling,  as  the  officers  judged  from 
what  they  saw,  and  in  the  private  way  a  rather 
noisy  gang  seemed  to  be  discussing  some  matter. 
All  the  way  up  the  road  to  the  elevation  on 
which  the  mansion  of  the  Secessionist  was  lo- 
cated, men  were  moving. 


THE    BOOT    ON    THE    OTHER    LEG  323 

"  What  does  all  this  mean,  Major  Bornwoocl  ?  " 
asked  Colonel  Gordon,  as  they  approached  the 
scene  of  the  excitement. 

"  I  am  sure  I  don't  know ;  but  very  likely  it  is 
a  gathering  of  the  people  to  rob  and  plunder  some 
Union  man,  for  such  things  are  not  wholly  un- 
common in  some  parts  of  the  State,"  replied  the 
staff -officer. 

"  But  the  man  who  lives  in  that  house  on  the 
hill  is  not  a  Union  man ;  on  the  contrary,  he  is  a 
Secessionist,  and  formerly  lived  in  Alabama.  I 
met  him  once  during  our  stay  in  Barkville,  and 
was  introduced  to  him  by  one  of  the  town  council. 
He  is  a  very  gentlemanly  person,  and  said  he 
believed  in  the  Confederacy,  though  he  took  no 
part  whatever  in  politics.  He  had  moved  to  Ken- 
tucky because  the  climate  of  Southern  Alabama 
did  not  agree  with  him.  The  councilman  who 
introduced  me  said  he  was  a  good  man  in  spite  of 
his  disloyal  opinions,  always  paid  his  bills,  and 
contributed  liberally  to  the  support  of  the  poor, 
whatever  their  politics,  and  most  men  respected 
him.  He  was  not  a  Union  man,  but  he  was  en- 
tirely inoffensive  in  every  respect." 


32-1  AT   THE   FRONT 

"Then,  what  is  the  meaning  of  the  gathering 
near  his  mansion  ?  "  inqnired  the  major. 

"I  don't  know,"  replied  the  colonel,  as  he 
halted  his  command  at  the  head  of  the  private 
road  when  the  head  of  the  column  came  to  it. 

Of  course  the  appearance  of  the  regiment  ex- 
cited the  attention  of  the  people.  The  colonel 
and  the  major  rode  into  the  side  road  to  ascertain 
the  occasion  of  the  gathering,  and  approached  the 
group  that  Avere  discussing  in  rather  violent  terms 
the  question  before  them. 

"  I  believe  in  pulling  down  his  house,  or  burn- 
ingf  it  over  his  head !  "  exclaimed  one  of  the  dis- 
putants. 

"I  don't  believe  in  anything  of  that  kind,"  re- 
plied another  very  earnestl}^  "  Mr.  Bickworth 
has  done  nothing  to  deserve  such  treatment,  and 
it  would  be  an  outrage  to  treat  him  in  that  man- 
ner." 

"  You  will  find  yourself  in  a  very  small  mi- 
nority in  this  crowd,"  continued  the  first  speaker, 
who  had  evidently  primed  himself  with  more 
than  one  glass  of  whiskey. 

"  What  is   the   trouble  here  ? "   asked   Colonel 


THE    BOOT    ON    THE    OTHER    LEG  325 

(iordou  very  quietly,  as  he  rode  as  near  as  he 
could  get  to  the  violent  man  of  the  group. 

"  Trouble  enough,"  replied  the  orator  of  the 
occasion,  as  he  evidently  regarded  himself,  and  he 
interlarded  his  speech  Avith  occasional  oaths ;  but 
he  could  not  "  hold  a  candle  "  to  Cameron,  though 
he  was  just  such  a  person,  on  a  minor  scale.  "  We 
don't  mean  to  have  things  go  all  one  way  about 
here.  The  man  that  lives  in  that  house  on  the 
hill  is  a  Secessionist.  ^Vbout  a  week  ago  the 
disloyal  ruflians  of  Adair  County  cleaned  out  a 
Union  man  over  there,  robbed  his  mansion  of  all 
that  was  worth  taking  away,  and  then  burned  it 
to  the  ground.  The  man  that  lives  in  that 
house,"  pointing  to  it,  "■  is  a  disloyal  man ;  and 
we  are  going  to  serve  him  as  the  disloyal  ruthans 
served  the  Union  man  at  Breedings." 

"  Then,  you  intend  to  be  the  loyal  ruffians  on 
this  occasion,"  replied  the  colonel  mildly. 

"  We  are  not  ruffians  ;  vv^e  are  gentlemen.  Colo- 
nel," replied  the  orator.  "  I  am  a  member  of  the 
bar,  and  those  with  me  are  reputable  citizens." 

jNIajor  Lyon,  who  was  near  the  head  of  the 
column,  had  his  curiosity  somewhat  excited,  and 


326  AT    THE    FRONT 

had  ridden  his  horse  into  the  road  to  ascertain 
the  nature  of  tlie  business  in  progress. 

"  Do  I  understand  that  you  intend  to  rob  Mr. 
Bickworth's  mansion,  and  then  burn  it  ?  "  asked 
tlie  colonel. 

"  That  is  just  what  we  intend  to  do,"  answered 
the  member  of  the  bar. 

"  Have  you  any  suggestion  to  offer.  Major 
Bornwood?"  asked  the  commander  of  his  com- 
panion. 

"  None  ;  but  I  am  as  much  opposed  to  outrages 
by  Union  men  as  by  Secessionists,"  replied  the 
staff-ofScer  quietly. 

"  Major  Lyon !  "  called  the  commander  to  the 
senior  major.  "  You  express  my  opinion  pre- 
cisely, Major  Bornwood." 

Deck  saluted  the  commander,  and  waited  for 
orders. 

"  Major  Lyon,  you  will  march  your  first  two 
companies  up  this  road,  and  surround  that  house 
on  the  hill,"  said  the  colonel,  loud  enough  for  the 
orator  of  the  group  to  hear  him. 

Deck  ordered  the  two  companies  to  march  up 
the  hill,  and  placed  himself  at  the.  head  of  the 


THE    BOOT    ON    THE    OTHER    LEG  327 

column.  Apparently  to  the  astonishment  and  in- 
dignation of  most  of  the  group,  the  two  hundred 
troopers  marched  by  them,  and  ascended  the  hill. 
There  were  about  fifty  people  collected  around 
the  mansion,  and  there  were  as  many  more  who 
were  drilling  with  muskets  in  the  field  near  the 
highway.  . 

"  Do  I  understand,  Colonel,  —  the  colonel  of  a 
Union  regiment,  —  that  you  intend  to  interfere 
with  this  affair  ?  "  demanded  Squire  Blunt,  the 
orator  of  the  group  in  the  private  road,  whose 
indignation  had  been  fanned  to  rage  as  he  saw 
the  two  companies  gallop  up  the  road. 

"  Most  decidedly  I  do,"  replied  the  commander. 

"  Do  you  claim  to  be  a  Union  man  ?  " 

"  Can  you  ask  such  a  question  as  that  of  a 
soldier  in  the  United  States  army  ?  Are  you 
a  Union  man  ?  " 

"  You  know  that  I  am !  "  exclaimed  Squire 
Blunt.  "Why  should  I  be  here  on  this  business 
if  I  were  not  ?  "' 

"  And  you  intend  to  prove  that  you  are  a 
Union  man  by  joining  a  mob  to  rob  and  burn  the 
residence   of   a    quiet    and   inoffensive    citizen   of 


328  AT    THE    FRONT 

Kentucky ;  to  take  part  with  Union  ruffians  in 
committing  an  outrage  on  a  peaceable  member  of 
this  community  !  Why  did  you  not  enlist  in  the 
army  of  your  country,  as  I  did,  to  demonstrate 
your  loyalty  ?  " 

"  That's  into  him  seven  feet !  "  cried  the  man 
who  had  argued  in  opposition  to  the  proposed 
outrage. 

The  colonel  turned  his  horse,  and  began  to 
ascend  the  road,  with  the  staff-officer  still  at  his 
side.  The  rest  of  the  group,  and  the  Home 
Guard  in  the  field,  followed  them ;  for  it  looked 
as  though  the  time  for  action  had  come.  Major 
Lyon  had  posted  his  first  company  on  a  lawn  at 
the  side  of  the  mansion,  and  stationed  the  second 
company  all  around  the  buildings.  He  had  placed 
Lieutenant  Fronklyn,  with  half  a  dozen  men,  dis- 
mounted, with  carbines  in  their  hands,  on  the 
piazza,  the  officer  being  at  the  front  door. 

"  Colonel  Gordon,  I  protest  against  your  action 
in  this  matter  as  an  outrage  upon  the  people  of 
two  counties  of  the  State,"  said  Squire  Blunt, 
as  soon  as  the  commander  had  examined  the 
preparations  for  the  defence  of  the  mansion. 


THE    BOOT    ON    THE    OTHER    LEG  329 

"What  are  you  about  to  do  here,  Mr.  Blunt?" 
asked  the  colonel. 

"  We  are  about  to  sack  this  mansion,  and  burn 
it  to  the  ground,  as  the  disloyal  ruffians  did  that 
of  Captain  Wiggin  at  Breedings,"  replied  the 
orator. 

"By  what  authority  do  you  propose  to  act  in 
this  manner?  "  demanded  the  commander. 

"  By  the  authority  of  the  loyal  sentiment  of 
two  counties." 

"  That  is  rather  indefinite  authority.  You  wish 
to  justify  the  action  of  the  Breedings  mob  by 
following  its  example.  What  has  jNIr.  Bickworth 
done  to  offend  the  loyal  people  of  two  counties  ?  " 

"  He  has  refused  to  contribute  to  the  equipment 
of  the  Home  Guard  for  the  defence  of  our  homes 
and  rights." 

"  He  is  a  citizen  of  the  State,  and  he  had  the 
right  to  refuse.  Did  you  contribute  to  the  equip- 
ment of  the  State  Guard  at  Breedings  ?  " 

At  this  monient  Mr.  Bickworth  appeared  at  the 
door  of  his  house. 


330  AT   THE   FEONT 


CHAPTER   XXV 

THE    OBNOXIOUS    CITIZEN    ON   THE   HILL 

"  Did  I  contribute  to  the  equipment  of  the 
State  Guard  at  Breedings  ?  "  said  Squire  Blunt. 
"  Of  course  I  did  not !  The  State  Guard  is  a 
Secesh  body,  and  I  was  not  asked  to  do  so.  It 
would  have  been  treason  for  me  to  do  anything 
of  the  kind,  and  against  my  principles,"  replied 
Squire  Blunt. 

"  It  would  have  been  quite  right  for  you  to 
refuse  if  you  had  been  asked,"  added  the  com- 
mander. "■  Very  likely  Mr.  Bick worth  regarded 
a  contribution  to  the  equipment  of  the  loyal  Home 
Guard  in  the  same  light." 

"  I  make  a  distinction  between  things  loyal  and 
disloyal." 

"So  do  I." 

"  I  judged  from  your  action  that  you  did  not," 
replied  the  squire.  "•  You  array  your  soldiers 
against  the  loyal  people  of  this  section." 


THE  OBNOXIOUS    CITIZEN    ON   THE    HILL      331 

"  The  loyal  people  of  this  section  are  collected 
here  for  the  purpose  of  using  violence  against 
a  peaceable  citizen  of  Kentucky,  in  violation  of 
the  laws  of  the  State,  and  will  be  liable  to  prose- 
cution if  they  proceed  with  their  work.  You  are 
a  lawyer,  Squire  Blunt,  and  you  know  tliis  as 
well  as  or  better  than  I  do." 

"  I  don't  think  they  are  in  any  danger  of 
prosecution,"  said  the  member  of  the  bar  with  a 
laugh. 

"  In  all  the  large  cities  of  the  North,  there  is 
an  occasional  citizen  who  believes  the  South  is 
right,  though  I  am  glad  to  say  they  are  very  few ; 
and  they  are  called  '  Copperheads.'  We  have 
heard  of  such  a  thing  there  as  that  man  being 
compelled  to  display  the  American  flag  on  his 
house  ;  and  perhaps  violence  would  have  followed 
after  a  refusal.  But  generally  such  citizens  were 
not  molested  if  they  were  peaceful,  law-abiding 
citizens,  and  did  not  make  any  demonstration  in 
favor  of  the  South.  I  commend  the  example  of 
the  Northern  people  to  you." 

"  It  is  a  different  thing  down  here  ;  for  we  are 
right  in  the  midst  of  the  rebellion,  and  at  this 


332  AT    THE   FEONT 

moment  the  armies  of  the  Confederacy  are  march- 
ing into  the  State  of  Kentucky  with  the  intention 
of  subduing  the  peojDle,  and  raising  the  flag  of 
Secession.  This  state  of  things  creates  a  great 
deal  of  indignation  among  our  citizens." 

"  I  sympathize  with  them  so  far,  and  I  believe 
our  armies  will  drive  out  the  intruders.  As  a 
soldier,  I  shall  do  all  I  can  to  bring  about  this 
result ;  and  I  believe  it  would  be  very  much 
better  for  you.  Squire  Blunt,  to  shoulder  your 
musket,  and  do  the  same,  rather  than  to  employ 
your  time  and  talents  in  destrojnng  the  property 
of.  a  peaceful  citizen  like  Mr.  Bickworth." 

"  That's  the  right  kind  of  talk  I  "'  exclaimed 
Mr.  Letcher,  the  gentleman  who  had  argued 
against  the  squire  near  the  highway. 

"  That's  so !  "  added  several  others. 

The  entire  collection  of  people  had  gathered 
near  the  colonel  to  hear  what  passed  between  him 
and  the  orator ;  and  Mr.  Letcher  asked  those  ^s^'ho 
were  ojDposed  to  mob  violence  to  step  over  to  the 
corner  of  the  fence  at  the  road.  About  a  dozen 
resj^onded  to  the  summons ;  but  most  of  the 
crowd  had  come  to  the  hill  for  another  pur2:)0se, 


THE    OBNOXIOUS    CITIZEN    ON    THE    HILL      333 

and  they  were  not  willing  to  step  over  to  the 
other  side  of  the  question,  though  they  seemed  to 
be  moved  by  the  argument  of  the  commander. 

"  I  see  that  Mr.  Bickworth  has  come  out  of 
his  house,  and  is  talking  on  the  piazza  with  Lieu- 
tenant Fronklyn.  I  am  going  up  ta  see  him,  and 
I  should  be  glad,  to  have  you  go  with  me,"  said 
the  commander,  as  he  and  Major  Bornwood  dis- 
mounted from  their  horses,  and  handed  them  over 
to  the  keeping  of  a  couple  of  troopers. 

"I  am  the  chairman  of  a. committee  of  three  to 
make  a  final  demand  upon  jMr.  Bickworth,  and  I 
will  meet  him  in  your  presence,  Colonel,"  replied 
Squire  Blunt ;  and  it  was  obvious  that  his  views 
had  been  somewhat  modified  by  the  argument  of 
the  commander. 

With  the  committee,  the  orator  led  the  way  to 
the  piazza,  followed  l)y  the  colonel,  the  major, 
and  jMajor  Lyon,  at  the  request  of  the  com- 
mander. 

The  party  ranged  themselves  around  the  ob- 
noxious citizen,  to  hear  what  was  said  on  both 
sides.  Mr.  Bickworth  appeared  to  be  about  sev- 
enty years  old,  was  quite  tall  and  dignified,  and 


334  AT   THE   FRONT 

with  a  very  mild  and  gentle  expression  of  coun- 
tenance, as  far  removed  as  possible  from  a  "fire- 
eater;"  He  received  the  party  with  a  graceful 
bow,  and  waited  to  hear  their  business  with  him. 
It  was  opened  by  Squire  Blunt. 

"As  a  committee  of  three,"  said  he,  indicating 
with  a  gesture  his  two  associates,  "  we  have  called 
upon  you,  to  make  a  final  demand  for  a  contri- 
bution for  the  equipment  of  the  Home  Guard  of 
this  locality." 

"  What  are  Home  Guards  ?  "  asked  the  obnox- 
ious citizen  very  mildly  and  gently,  and  with  a 
pleasant  smile  on  his  face. 

"  They  are  military  bodies  raised  for  the  de- 
fence of  our  people  and  tlieir  property.  You  can 
see  most  of  the  company  formed  in  line  before 
your  mansion ;  "  for  the  body  had  marched  up  the 
hill,  and  formed  in  front  of  the  house.  "  Captain 
Greene,  their  commander,  is  one  of  this  commit- 
tee ;  "  and  the  orator  pointed  him  out  with  a 
flourish. 

"  For  what  purpose  do  they  visit  my  estate  ?  " 
asked  Mr.  Bickworth.  "  I  am  a  citizen  of  the 
State  of   Kentucky,  and  one  of  '  our  people,'  as 


THE   OBNOXIOUS    CITIZEN    ON    THE    HILL       335 

you  very  properly  designate  them.  I  have  been 
told  that  all  these  people  come  to  my  residence 
with  evil  intentions  ;  in  a  word,  for  the  purpose 
of  destroying  my  property,  of  burning  my  man- 
sion. Am  I  to  infer  that  the  Home  Guard  came 
to  defend  me  and  my  estate  from  violence  ?  " 

Squire  Blunt  bit  his  lips,  and  made  no  reply. 

"  I  pay  my  taxes  regularly,  and  I  have  been 
told  that  I  pay  one  of  the  largest  amounts  in  this 
way  in  Barkville.  I  contribute  liberally  for  the 
support  of  the  poor,  in  addition  to  my  taxes ;  and 
I  think  I  am  right  in  regarding  myself  as  one  of 
'  our  people.'  " 

"  But  you  are  a  Secessionist !  "  exclaimed 
Squire  Blunt. 

"I  have  my  private  opinions  on  the  politics  of 
the  nation ;  but  I  have  taken  no  active  part 
against  the  government,  neither  in  word  nor  in 
deed.  But  you  did  not  answer  my  question, 
Squire,  and  I  will  ask  Captain  Greene  to  do  so. 
Am  I  to  infer  that  the  Home  Guard  came  here 
to  defend  me  and  my  property  from  the  violence 
of  a  mob  ?  " 

"  No,  sir ;  they  did  not !  "   exclaimed  the   cap- 


336  AT   THE   FRONT 

tain,  who  did  not  like  the  turn  in  the  conversa- 
tion. 

"  Precisely ;  I  am  happy  to  understand  the 
matter,"  added  Mr.  Bickworth.  "  What  is  the 
particular  business  of  your  committee  with  me, 
Squire  Blunt?" 

"  To  make  a  final  request  of  you  to  give  a 
contribution,  according  to  your  abundant  means, 
for  the  equipment  of  the  Home  Guards  before 
you,"  replied  the  orator. 

"  I  have  declined  to  do  so  several  times  before. 
I  could  quote  several  instances  in  which  so-called 
Home  Guards  took  part  in  the  destruction  of  the 
property  of  citizens  like  myself,  peaceable,  but 
having  private  opinions  like  my  own.  The  com- 
mander of  the  Home  Guard  to  whose  equipment 
I  am  invited  to  contribute  says  very  decidedly 
that  his  force  did  not  come  here  to  protect  me 
and  my  property  from  violence  and  destruction. 
Therefore,  I  must  finally  decline  to  contribute  for 
the  equipment  of  his  force,"  replied  Mr.  Bick- 
worth mildly  and  with  dignity.  "  I  decline,  even 
if  you  proceed  to  the  outrage  which  brought  you 
here." 


THE    OBNOXIOUS    CITIZEN    ON    THE    HILL      337 

Doubtless  the  "  obnoxious  citizen  "  shared  the 
views  expressed  by  the  historian  of  Kentucky  in 
regard  to  Home  Guards,  while  he  gives  some  of 
these  bodies  ample  credit  for  substantial  service 
to  the  State  and  the  nation.  We  quote  from  his 
pages  to  indicate  that  Mr.  Bickworth's  views  were  • 
not  entirely  his  own :  "  The  difficulty  of  main- 
taining the  activity  of  the  civil  law  in  this  period 
of  conflict  was  made  the  greater  by  the  action 
of  the  Home  Guards,  a  force  that  could  not  be 
kept  in  proper  control.  These  partisan  troops 
made  many  raids  upon  persons  known  to  be  in 
sympathy  with  the  South.  The  whole  experience 
of  the  Civil  War  with  these  detached  localized 
troops  shows  that  they  were  an  element  of  great 
danger  to  the  civil  government  of  the  State." 

"  That's  all  that  need  be  said !  "  shouted  Cap- 
tain Greene,  who  was  evidently  a  "fire-eater" 
on  the  wrong  side  of  the  question.  "  We  are 
ready  now  to  do  the  work  for  wliich  we  came  up 
here." 

"What  is  that?"  demanded  Colonel  Gordon 
quietly. 

"  We  shall  sack  the  mansion,  and  then  set   it 


338  AT   THE   FRONT 

on  fire.  We  may  get  enough  out  of  it  to  make 
up  the  rebel's  subscription." 

"  You  can  proceed  with  your  cowardly  work," 
added  Mr.  Bickworth. 

"  You  will  do  nothing  of  the  kind,  Captain 
Greene,"  interposed  the  colonel.  "  Mr.  Bick- 
worth, this  battalion  of  United  States  cavalry 
will  protect  you  and  your  property  from  injury. 
The  civil  law  is  in  force  in  Kentucky,  and  it  is 
the  duty  of  the  Federal  officers  to  support  it. 
The  proposed  action  of  this  mob  would  be  an 
outrage,  and  I  shall  stand  by  you." 

"  I  thank  you,  Colonel  Gordon,  and  I  am  sure 
you  have  taken  a  correct  view  of  the  situation," 
added  the  "  obnoxious  citizen." 

Mr.  Letcher  and  those  in  sympathy  with  him, 
now  increased  in  numbers  to  about  twenty  by 
the  arguments  to  which  they  had  listened  atten- 
tively since  they  moved  up  to  the  piazza,  gave 
three  cheers ;  and  doubtless  they  were  regarded 
as  traitors  by  a  portion  of  the  assembly. 

"  Colonel  Gordon,  do  you  intend  to  interfere 
with  the  action  of  the  citizens  of  this  county?" 
demanded  Captain  Greene. 


THE   OBNOXIOUS    CITIZEN   ON   THE   HILL      339 

"Most  decidedly  I  do  I"  replied  the  commander 
with  more  vim  than  he  had  spoken  before.  "  Ma- 
jor Lyon,  mount  your  horse." 

Deck  hastened  to  mount  his  steed. 

"  I  hope  you  will  not  act  foolishly,  Captain 
Greene,"  resumed  the  colonel.  "■  I  have  two  hun- 
dred cavalry  on  this  hill,  and  over  a  thousand 
more  on  the  highway,  which  shall  be  marched 
up  here  if  necessary;  for  it  makes  no  difference 
to  me  whether  you  are  loyal  ruffians  or  disloyal, 
I  shall  deal  with  you  in  the  same  manner.  If 
you  meddle  with  the  mansion  or  its  proprietor, 
Captain  Greene,  my  troops  shall  charge  upon 
you,  and  drive  the  mob  from  the  hill.  I  hope 
you  understand  me,  for  I  support  the  civil  gov- 
ernment of  the  State  of  Kentucky." 

"Attention,  Battalion!"  shouted  Major  Lyon. 
"Draw,  sabres !" 

The  two  companies  were  the  original  River- 
lawn  squadron,  and  their  sabres  flew  from  the 
scabbards  on  the  instant.  Then  Deck  moved  the 
company  on  the  lawn  to  the  front  of  the  piazza, 
ready  for  action,  and  waited  for  further  orders 
from  the  commander. 


340  AT   THE   FRONT 

"  Squire  Blunt,  I  should  be  very  sorry  to  be 
compelled  to  assault  my  own  friends,  the  loyal 
citizens  of  this  vicinity ;  but  they  are  clearly  in 
the  wrong,  and  Mr.  Bickworth,  though  his  opin- 
ions on  the  great  question  before  the  country  are 
not  yours  or  mine,  is  entitled  to  protection,  at 
least  until  he  is  guilty  of  some  overt  act,  and 
I  have  not  learned  that  he  has  done  anything 
against  the  peace  and  dignity  of  the  United 
States  or  the  Commonwealth  of  Kentucky." 

"  Of  course  Captain  Greene  cannot  do  any- 
thing against  such  a  force  as  you  have  under 
your  command ;  and  I  must  say  that  my  views 
are  somewhat  modified  by  the  discussion  which 
has  been  held  on  this  piazza,"  replied  the  squire. 
"I  will  talk  wdth  Greene,"  and  he  went  over  to 
him  for  this  purpose. 

He  talked  in  such  a  low  tone  that  others 
could  not  hear  what  passed  between  them ;  but 
certainly  the  commander  of  the  Home  Guard 
moderated  his  tone  very  much,  since  he  was  not 
a  fool,  and  could  see  that  he  and  his  Guards 
would  be  annihilated  if  he  attempted  to  oppose 
the   cavalry  by  force;    for   the  people    of   Bark- 


THE    OBNOXIOUS    CITIZEN    ON   THE    HILL      341 

ville,  where  most  of  them  came  from,  were  well 
acquainted  with  the  Riverlawns  and  the  battery 
who  had  defended  them  from  the  attack  of  the 
enemy  who  came  there  by  the  Harbinger.  The 
squire  soon  returned  to  the  presence  of  Colonel 
Gordon. 

"  I  think  we  can  compromise  the  case,  Colonel. 
I  will  do  as  you  say  it  has  been  done  in  the 
North :  I  will  ask  him  to  display  the  American 
flag  on  his  mansion  or  grounds  ;  and  there  is  a 
flag-pole  on  the  lawn,  on  which  he  used  to  hoist 
the  flag  on  the   Fourth  of  July." 

"But  suppose  he  declines  to  do  so?"  suggested 
the  commander. 

"I  don't  think  he  will,  for  he  is  a  very  mod- 
erate Southerner,  in  spite  of  his  opinions  ;  but  if 
he  refuses,  we  shall  have  to  leave  without  set- 
tling the  question,"  replied  the  orator.  "  The 
answer  we  can  make  to  the  people  who  have 
been  waiting  to  see  the  flames  rising  from  the 
hill  is  that  we  have  been  convinced  by  the  argu- 
ments of  Colonel  Gordon  that  our  work  was  not 
the  right  thing  to  do." 

"  I  am  very  glad  if  anything  I  have  said  has 


342  AT    THE    FRONT 

influenced  yon,  and  especially  if  it  saves  me  the 
pain  of  attacking  our  people." 

"  You  made  a  very  able  argument,  and  you 
ought  to  have  been  a  member  of  the  bar." 

"  I  was  a  lawyer  when  the  war  began,"  added 
the  colonel,  as  the  squire  left  him  to  speak  to 
Mr.  Bickworth. 

"  Whether  you  accept  or  reject  the  compromise 
I  am  about  to  propose,  Mr.  Bickworth,  it  is  evi- 
dent enough  with  the  troops  around  your  man- 
sion, that  neither  you  nor  your  property  will  be 
subjected  to  any  violence,"  the  squire  began. 

"  I  shall  be  glad  to  have  the  matter  settled  to 
the  satisfaction  of  the  people,"  replied  the  ob- 
noxious citizen.     '^  What  is  the  compromise?" 

"  That  you  hoist  the  American  flag  on  your 
lawn." 

"I  will  do  that  with  pleasure,"  replied  Mr. 
Bickworth. 


THE   SEARCH   FOE,   GREEGEK    LAKE  348 


CHAPTER   XXVI 

THE   SEARCH   FOR   GREEGER    LAKE 

Squire  Blunt  made  a  speech  to  the  assem- 
blage to  the  effect  that  a  compromise  had  been 
arranged ;  and  he  had  hardly  said  so  much  before 
the  Star  Spangled  Banner  floated  in  the  air  over 
the  lawn.  Deck  called  for  three  cheers  from  the 
battalion,  which  were  given  lustily,  followed  by 
three  more  from  the  Home  Guard  and  the  rest  of 
the  gathering ;  and  the  orator  proceeded  with  his 
speech,  though  he  was  so  thirsty  for  his  whiskey 
that  he  made  it  very  brief.  Though  the  respected 
gentleman  who  resided  in  the  mansion  before 
them,  he  said,  had  some  private  opinions  of  his 
own,  he  was  a  loyal  citizen  to  the  whole  country ; 
and  after  this  demonstration,  he  was  confident 
they  would  protect  his  person  and  property  from 
any  assailants,  wherever  they  came  from. 

"  I  was  born  and  brought  up  under  this  flag, 
and  I  have  never  ceased  to  honor  and  love   it," 


344  AT   THE   FRONT 

said  the  "  ol)noxioiis  citizen  "  to  those  around  him. 
"I  love  my  country,  though  I  have  spent  a  portion 
of  my  life  in  China ;  and  I  love  it  all  the  more  for 
that  reason.  Now,  gentlemen,  if  you  will  come 
into  my  house,  I  will  show  you  that  I  can  drink 
to  the  reunion  of  our  country  under  the  American 
flag." 

Colonel  Gordon  was  especially  invited  to  go  in ; 
but  he  pleaded  that  he  never  drank  anything, 
and  that  he  must  leave  with  his  command  for 
Barkville.  He  was  excused ;  but  half  a  dozen 
others  went  in,  and  the  sufferings  of  the  orator 
and  the  captain  soon  came  to  an  end.  They 
were  treated  very  handsomely  in  both  senses  of 
the  word,  and  remained  some  time  with  their 
"  respected  fellow-citizen,"  as  the  squire  called 
him  in  his  remarks  and  toasts.  They  were  en- 
tertained in  the  dining-room  of  the  host ;  and 
upon  their  departure  it  required  the  whole  width 
of  the  road  to  accommodate  the  captain  and  the 
squire  on  their  way  to  Barkville. 

The  regiment  marched  to  the  town,  and  were 
received  by  the  town  council.  They  encamped  in 
the  field  they  had  occupied  on  their  former  visit ; 


THE   SEARCH   FOR   GREEGER   LAKE  345 

and  after  the  long  day  of  fighting  and  marching, 
both  officers  and  men  were  glad  to  roll  themselves 
up  in  their  blankets,  and  spread  themselves  out  in 
the  tents. 

It  was  a  long  stay  the  regiment  and  battery 
made  at  Barkville.  Major  Bornwood  received  no 
letters  or  telegrams,  as  he  expected,  at  this  halt, 
which  was  believed  by  the  officers  to  be  only  for 
a  day  or  two,  and  that  orders  for  the  command 
would  be  received  there.  But  General  Buell  was 
very  busy  in  Tennessee,  concealing  his  own  move- 
ments, and  seeking  to  ascertain  those  of  General 
Bragg.  Nashville  was  in  possession  of  the  Union 
army.  It  was  believed  that  this  would  soon  be 
the  object  of  an  attack  on  the  part  of  the  enemy. 
General  Buell  was  farther  south.  Aug.  30  he 
ordered  his  entire  army  to  move  to  Murfreesboro, 
about  thirty  miles  southeast  of  the  capital  of  Ten- 
nessee, on  the  Nashville  and  Chattanooga  Rail- 
road, expecting  an  attack  on  Nashville. 

It  seemed  to  be  a  game  between  him  and  Gen- 
eral Bragg  to  ascertain  what  the  other  intended  to 
do.  Whether  the  latter  intended  to  capture  Nash- 
ville, if  he  could,  or  invade  the  State  of  Kentucky, 


346  AT   THE   FRONT 

was  the  question.  Buell  was  at  Decherd,  in 
the  southern  part  of  Tennessee,  eighty-two  miles 
southeast  of  Nashville,  a  long  distance  from  the 
central  part  of  Kentucky,  ready  to  move  against 
Bragg  when  he  could  discover  his  objective  point. 
On  one  of  the  last  days  of  August  he  ordered  his 
whole  army  to  move  to  Murfreesboro ;  and  his 
several  divisions  were  united  there  on  the  fifth  of 
September.  No  long  halt  was  made  there,  and 
the  divisions  moved  on  to  Nasliville.  Still  the 
question  was  whether  Bragg  would  attack  Nash- 
ville or  by  a  flank  movement  invade  Kentucky. 

The  events  described  in  this  volume  occurred 
towards  the  latter  part  of  August,  and  it  was 
about  the  twenty-fifth  wlien  the  Riverlawn  regi- 
ment arrived  at  Barkville.  Day  after  day  wore 
away,  and  no  orders  came  for  the  force  to  move 
in  any  direction.  The  officers  were  treated  very 
hospitably  by  the  people  of  the  town;  but  they 
soon  wearied  of  the  life  of  inactivity,  and  longed 
to  be  again  engaged  in  the  strife,  which  they  con- 
fidently believed  would  soon  overwhelm  the  re- 
bellious enemy,  though  they  had  to  wait  many 
months  before  this  result  was  realized. 


THE   SEARCH    FOR   GREEGER   LAKE  347 

Deck  had  telegraphed  to  Mr.  McCurdy  at  Som- 
erset, to  ascertain  the  condition  of  his  father,  and 
learned  that  he  was  doing  very  well.  The  wound 
on  his  head  was  healing  up  satisfactorily  to  the 
physician.  A  week  later  came  a  letter  written 
by  Colonel  Lyon  himself,  in  which  he  said  he  had, 
been  out  to  walk  for  the  last  three  days.  He  had 
a  good  appetite,  and  he  felt  as  well  as  ever  in  his 
life  ;  he  was  ready  to  rejoin  his  command,  but  the 
doctor  would  not  permit  liim  to  do  so.  He  was 
confident  that  he  should  be  able  to  do  so. 

"  Our  men  are  getting  very  tired  of  this  idle 
life,"  said  Colonel  Gordon  when  they  had  been  in 
camp  a  week. 

They  were  at  the  post-office  waiting  for  the 
sorting  of  the  mail,  for  the  staff-officer  was  in 
daily  expectation  of  a  letter  or  telegram  from  the 
general.  It  was  the  second  of  September;  and 
the  general  had  been  so  busy  watching  Bragg 
and  other  officers,  and  had  been  moving  about 
so  much,  that  lie  had  not  been  able  to  attend  to 
minor  affaii-s  in  Kentucky,  though  he  was  pre- 
pared to  counteract  the  movements  of  Bragg  as 
soon  as  they  could  be  developed. 


348  AT   THE   FRONT 

"A   letter   for    Major   Bornwood,"    called   the 
postmaster  through  his  window. 

It  was  given  to  him,  and  he  immediatel}^  de- 
clared that  it  was  from  the  general.  He  tore  it 
open,  and  read  it  with  deep  interest,  and  then 
passed  it  to  the  colonel.  From  the  first  lines  it 
was  apparent  that  the  staff-officer  had  given  very 
favorable  reports  to  the  writer  of  the  newly- 
formed  regiment  of  cavalry.  Then  he  informed 
liim  that  a  large  body  of  guerillas,  or  partisan 
bands,  which  he  considered  the  same  thing,  were 
ojDerating  in  Logan  County,  or  on  Grigger  Lake, 
wherever  that  was.  The  number  of  the  guerillas 
was  reported  to  exceed  six  hundred.  He  in- 
structed his  staff-officer  to  have  the  regiment  sent 
to  capture  them,  or  drive  them  out  of  the  State ; 
for  such  a  number  of  ruffians  would  do  a  vast 
amount  of  mischief. 

"  That  looks  like  work  for  my  command,"  said 
the  colonel,  as  he  handed  the  letter  back  to  the 
major. 

"  But  where  is  Grigger  Lake  ? "  inquired  the 
latter. 

"  I  haven't  the  least  idea ;   and  I  did  not  sup- 


THE    SEARCH    FOR    GREEGER    LAKE  349 

pose  there  were  any-  lakes  in  the  State  large 
enough  to  be  mentioned,"  replied  the  colonel. 
"  But  I  dare  say  we  can  find  some  one  in  the 
town,  perhaps  in  the  regiment,  who  knows  where 
it  is.  AVe  will  make  a  business  of  ascertaining 
at  once." 

They  began  to  do  so ;  but  the  postmaster  and 
others  in  the  office  had  never  heard  of  it.  No 
such  body  of  water  was  laid  down  in  any  of 
the  maps  with  which  the  officers  were  provided. 
Then  at  roll-call  the  next  morning,  all  the  cap- 
tains were  instructed  to  inquire  of  the  men  if 
any  one  knew  Avhere  G rigger  Lake  was,  and  all 
the  officers  were  required  to  be  present. 

"  Grigger  Lake,"  repeated  Captain  Knox. 
"  That  is  something  like  it,  but  that  is  not  the 
name." 

"  Greeger  Lake ;  that's  what  they  call  it,  but 
I  don't  know  how  to  speil  it,"  interposed  Lieu- 
tenant Shapley,  of  Life's  company.  "It  isn't  far 
from  where  Captain  Knox  and  I  were  born  and 
raised." 

"  Then  I  think  we  can  find  it,"  added  the 
colonel.     "  We  may  march  for  that  lake  to-day, 


350  AT    THE    FRONT 

for  there  are  six  hundred  guerillas  in  that  vicin- 
ity." 

The  men  went  to  their  breakfast  with  the  be- 
lief that  the  season  of  inactivity  was  at  an  end, 
and  the  officers  sought  their  maps  again.  They 
found  the  stream  which  Life  and  Shapley  said 
flowed  from  it ;  but  the  lake  was  not  indicated, 
and  it  was  not  in  Logan  County.  The  colonel 
gave  the  order  for  the  command  to  march  as 
soon  as  it  was  ready.  Deck  wrote  a  letter  to 
his  father  in  Somerset,  and  another  to  his  mother 
at  Riverlawn,  informing  them  both  that  he  was 
about  to  leave  Barkville,  with  Captain  Knox  as 
a  pilot.  Franklin  was  the  nearest  post-office  to 
the  locality,  though  it  was  some  distance  from 
the  scene  of  operations. 

At  nine  o'clock  everything  was  in  readiness  to 
move,  for  the  force  was  kept  in  condition  to 
leave  at  short  notice  from  the  nature  of  the  op- 
erations in  which  it  was  engaged.  Nothing  was 
to  be  left  behind,  for  the  commander  did  not 
expect  to  be  ordered  back  to  Barkville.  Life 
thought  that  the  distance  was  about  sixty  miles, 
forty  of  which  were  made  the  first  da}'.     Captain 


THE   SEARCH   FOR   GREEGER   LAKE  351 

Knox  was  entirely  familiar  with  the  roads,  as 
were  most  of  the  members  of  his  company.  The 
command  camped  near  a  village  for  the  night ; 
and  it  contained  a  post-ofifice,  which  Life  and 
Shapley  visited  after  supper  in  search  of  infor- 
mation in  regard  to  the  guerillas.  Neither  the 
postmaster  nor  any  of  the  natives  assembled  there 
could  give  him  any  tidings  in  regard  to  the  ma- 
rauders. They  knew  Mdiere  Greeger  Lake  was, 
and  assured  the  officers  that  they  were  on  the 
right  road  to  reach  it. 

The  general's  letter  was  not  to  the  effect  that 
the  partisan  force  was  at  this  lake,  but  only  in 
the  same  county.  When  the  captain  and  lieu- 
tenant were  about  to  leave,  a  travel-stained  man, 
with  a  valise  of  considerable  size  strapped  upon 
his  back,  entered  the  store  in  which  the  post-office 
was  located.  He  was  at  once  recognized  as  a 
peddler,  and  asked  the  postmaster  if  he  could  get 
some  supper  and  a  night's  lodging  in  his  house. 
He  could  be  accommodated,  and  he  seated  him- 
self to  wait  for  the  meal. 

"  Have  you  travelled  far  ?  "  asked  Life,  seating 
himself  at  his  side. 


352  AT    THE    FRONT 

"I  am  a  peddler,  and  I  am  travelling  all  the 
time.  I  have  just  tramped  through  Christian  and 
Todd  Counties ;  and  I  have  had  a  hard  time  of 
it,  for  that  country  is  full  of  gorillas  —  that's 
what  I  call  'em,  I  believe  a  gorilla  is  a  big 
monkey,  nigh  on  to  the  size  of  a  man,  that  bites 
and  kills  a  fellow  as  you  would  a  fly;  and  that's 
what  them  robbers  do  over  in  Todd  County. 
They  wanted  to  rob  me  of  my  pack ;  but  I  got 
away  from  'em,  though  one  of  'em  on  foot  chased 
me  a  mile." 

"  Do  you  know  where  they  are  now  ? "  asked 
the  captain  with  deep  interest. 

"  They  were  moving  this  way,  and  I  reckon  this 
store  will  be  cleaned  out  by  to-morrow  or  next 
day,"  replied  the  jDeddler.  "They  had  stopped  to 
plunder  a  house  the  last  I  saw  of  'em." 

"  How  many  guerillas  are  there,  of  them  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know ;  one  man  told  there  was  a 
thousand  of  'em,  but  I  reckon  he  stretched  it  a 
little.  I  saw  them  on  the  road  ahead  of  me, 
and  I  went  around  'em  when  they  halted ;  I 
should  say  there  were  five  hundred  of  them,  with 
two  wagons  loaded  with  goods. 


THE    SEARCH    FOR    GREEGER    LAKE  353 

"  Your  supper  is  ready,"  said  the  postmaster, 
coming  out  of  the  rear  of  the  building  where  his 
family  lived. 

"  I'm  half  starved,  and  I  must  attend  to  that 
call,"  replied  the  peddler,  rising  from  his  chair. 

"  I  am  much  obliged  to  you  for  what  you  have 
told  me,  and  I  don't  reckon  that  gang  will  come 
to  Palmyra,"  added  Life. 

"You  wear  a  blue  uniform,  and  I  reckon  you're 
an  officer.  I  hope  you  will  ketch  them  gorillas," 
returned  the  peddler. 

"  I  am  an  officer,  and  we  have  force  enough  to 
grind  the  guerillas  to  powder,  whether  there  are 
five  hundred  or  a  thousand,"  said  Life ;  and  he 
and  Shapley  moved  to  the  door,  though  others 
wished  to  talk  with  them. 

The  two  officers  hastened  back  to  the  camp, 
and  immediately  sought  the  colonel  in  the  head- 
quarters tent.  They  were  admitted  by  the  senti- 
nel, and  found  the  commander  studying  a  map  on 
the  table  in  the  centre,  with  the  staff-officer  at 
his  side. 

"  I  am  glad  you  have  come,  Captain  Knox ;  I 
called  my  orderly  to  send  for  you,  but  he  told 


354  AT    THE    FRONT 

me  that  you  had  gone  to  the  village,"  said  Colonel 
Gordon  as  they  entered  the  tent. 

"  I  have  been  to  the  village  with  Lieutenant 
Shapley,  and  we  have  obtained  plenty  of  infor- 
mation," answered  Life.  ^'  Those  guerillas  have 
been  rampaging  through  Christian,  Todd,  and 
Logan  Counties,  and  a  peddler  who  has  just  come 
through  that  country  has  seen  them,  and  told 
me  all  about  them ;  "  and  the  captain  proceeded 
to  give  the  colonel  a  full  report  of  all  the  infor- 
mation he  had  obtained  from  the  travelling 
hawker. 

"  You  were  very  fortunate  to  come  across  such 
a  person,  Captain  Knox ;  and  I  am  very  glad  to 
know  that  we  are  on  the  right  road  to  Greeger 
Lake,"  said  the  commander  when  the  tall  Ken- 
tuckian  had  finished  his  narrative. 

"  I  don't  believe  it  is  much  of  a  lake ;  but  in 
our  State,  where  such  sheets  of  water  are  scarce, 
they  call  almost  any  puddle  a  lake.  The  traveller 
had  seen  the  lake  from  the  road,  but  did  not  go 
very  near  it ;  but  it  is  of  no  account.  He  got 
away  from  the  guerillas  near  Hadens,  on  the 
Louisville    and    Memphis  Railroad ;    and  as  they 


THE    SEARCH    FOR    GREEGER    LAKE  355 

wei-e  coining  this  way,  they  must  be  somewhere 
near  the  lake  by  this  time,  and  it  can't  be  more 
than  fifteen  miles  from  where  we  are  now,"  re- 
plied Life. 

As  he  was  al)out  to  leave  the  tent.  Deck  came 
in.  He  had  been  foraging  for  information  among 
the  fanners  and  others  who  had  come  to  the 
vicinity  of  the  camp  from  motives  of  curiosity  ; 
but  the  intelligence  Captain  Knox  had  procured 
rendered  his  story  of  no  especial  value.  He  was 
ordered  to  have  everything  ready  to  march  at 
five  o'clock  in  the  morning  ;  and  the  officers  went 
to  their  couches  on  the  ground,  where  all  the 
troopers,  except  the  guards  and  half  a  dozen 
scouts  on  the  roads  to  the  east  and  the  west,  had 
gone  as  soon  as  they  had  taken  their  suppers. 

At  four  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  Sept.  3  the 
assembly  sounded,  and  the  men  promptly  aban- 
doned their  couches,  rolled  up  their  blankets,  and 
complied  with  all  the  forms  required.  The  horses 
and  mules  were  fed,  and  breakfast  was  served 
half  an  hour  later.  The  column  was  formed,  with 
the  train  in  the  rear,  flanked  by  a  guard,  and  the 
command  began  its  march  towards  Price's  Mill. 


356  AT   THE   FRONT 


CHAPTER   XXVII 

THE  LAKE  AND  THE  GUERILLAS  FOUND 

Both  officers  and  privates  were  impatient  to 
meet  the  enemy  who  had  been  engaged  in  devas- 
tating the  counties  along  the  Henderson  and 
Nashville  Railroad,  and  a  speed  of  nearly  eight 
miles  an  hour  was  kept  up.  Captain  Knox,  with 
five  members  of  his  company,  had  been  detailed 
as  scouts,  and  were  several  miles  in  advance  of 
the  main  body.  Major  l^jon  had  formerly  been 
Life's  companion  on  his  scouting  expeditions; 
and  he  almost  wished  he  was  not  a  field-officer, 
that  he  might  be  with  him  on  the  present  occasion. 
He  even  mentioned  this  feeling  to  the  colonel 
when  the  scouts  were  detailed. 

"  There  is  nothing  to  prevent  you  from  going 
with  Captain  Knox  if  you  wish  to  do  so,"  replied 
the  commander. 

"I  always  used  to  go  with  him  on  such  expe- 
ditions, and  I  feel  lonesome  while  he  is  away  on 


THE   LAKE    AND    THE    GUKllILLAS    FOUND      357 

such  an  errand,"  replied  Deck.  "  But  I  suppose 
it  is  rather  undignified  for  a  field-officer  to  he  on 
a  scout." 

"  That  is  just  as  you  happen  to  view  the  mat- 
ter," said  the  colonel,  laughing  at  the  remark  of 
the  major. 

"  I  don't  care  for  the  dignity  here  on  these 
barrens ;  and  if  you  don't  object,  I  will  join  Life," 
added  Deck. 

"I  certainly  don't  object;  on  the  contrary,  I 
should  like  to  have  you  with  the  captain,  though 
I  should  not  send  you  out  as  a  scout." 

"All  right,  Colonel  Gordon,  then  I  will  soon 
be  up  with  the  captain ;  there  is  only  one  grade 
in  rank  between  us,"  said  the  major,  as  he  gave 
the  signal  to  Ceph  to  go  ahead. 

Life  had  not  more  than  fifteen  minutes  the 
start  of  him ;  and  at  the  speed  of  his  steed  when 
he  hurried  him,  it  was  not  more  than  fifteen  min- 
utes more  before  he  overtook  the  scouts.  Life 
halted  his  squad  as  soon  as  the  hindmost  man 
reported  a  horseman  aj^proaching  them.  As  he 
came  a  little  nearer,  the  man  reported  to  the  cap- 
tain that  it  was  Major  Lyon.     He  was  afraid  there 


358  AT   THE    FRONT 

was  something  wrong,  some  hitch  in  the  move- 
ment in  which  they  were  engaged. 

"  What's  the  matter,  Major  Lyon  ?  Has  any- 
thing broken  ?  "  demanded  Life  as  he  surveyed 
the  swift  rider. 

"•  Nothing  is  the  matter,  and  nothing  has 
broken,"  replied  Deck,  as  he  reined  in  his  horse 
at  the  side  of  the  chief  scout.  "  I  always  used 
to  go  with  you  on  any  expedition  of  this  sort,  as 
you  know ;  and  I  felt  lonesome  on  the  flank  of 
my  battalion  M'hen  I  thought  that  you  were  away 
on  your  present  mission.  I  spoke  to  the  colonel, 
and  he  did  not  object  to  my  going  with  you ;  and 
here  I  am." 

They  started  their  horses  again  at  a  gallop  ;  for 
Life  was  desirous  to  get  as  far  ahead  of  the  regi- 
ment as  possible,  in  order  that  he  might  have  the 
more  time  to  examine  the  country  before  them, 
especially  that  in  the  vicinity  of  the  so-called 
lake.  Three  of  the  scouts  were  riding  ahead  of 
the  captain,  and  the  other  two  in  the  rear,  all  of 
them  at  a  considerable  distance  from  him.  All 
the  men  had  good  horses  ;  those  ahead  had  been 
directed  to  make  their  best  speed,  and  they  were 


THE    LAKE    AND    THE    GUERILLAS    FOUND      359 

evidently  doing  so,  tliough  Life  and  Deck  had  no 
difficulty  in  keeping  up  with  them. 

"What  time  is  it  now,  Deck?"  for  they  did 
not  vex  themselves  with  titles  when  they  were 
together,  if  no  others  were  near  them. 

"  Half-past  six,"  replied  the  major,  after  con- 
sulting his  watch. 

"  We  have  been  moving  for  an  hour  and  ■  a 
half ;  and  at  the  rate  we  have  come  over  the 
road,  we  ought  to  be  near  the  lake,"  replied 
Life,  as  he  discovered  a  negro  on  foot  approach- 
ing them.  The  captain  reined  in  his  steed  when 
he  was  abreast  of  the  man. 

"  Can  you  tell  me  where  Greeger  Lake  is, 
Snowball  ?  "   inquired  Life. 

"Who  tole  you  my  name,  Mars'r?"  asked  the 
negro,  displaying  all  the  ivory  that  could  have 
come  from  the  tusks  of  one  large  elephant. 

"  Is  your  name   Snowball  ?  " 

"  No,  sar ;  but  that's  what  old  mars'r  calls 
me." 

"  Where  do  you  live  ?  " 

"  Wid  INIars'r  Price  dat  owns  de  mill  now,  and 
he  libs  near  it,  on   de  oder  side  ob  de  road,"  re- 


360  AT    THE   EF.ONT 

plied  Snowball,  who  wanted  to  ask  the  captain 
who  he  was,  but  he  did  not  quite  dare  to  do  so. 

"  Do  you  know  where  Greeger  Lake  is,  Snow- 
ball ?  "  demanded  Life  in  more  imperative  tones. 

"  Yes,  sar ;  dat's  de  mill-pond  which  got  de 
name  of  Greeger  Lake  from  de  man  clat  use  to 
own  de  mill ;  but  he's  dead  now,  and  he  was 
drownded  in  de  pond.     He  was  "  — 

"•  No  matter  what  he  was,  but  tell  me  where 
the  lake  is,"  said  Life  in  very  decided  tones. 

Before  the  negro  could  give  the  information, 
one  of  the  scouts  ahead  rode  back,  and  stated 
that  there  was  a  road  turning  off  from  the  one 
that  they  had  followed  thus  far,  and  he  did  not 
know  which  one  to  take. 

"Dat's  de  road  to  de  pond,"  interposed  Snow- 
ball.     "  But  mars'r  mustn't  go  ober  dar." 

"Mustn't  go  over  there!  Why  not?"  de- 
manded the  captain. 

"  Mars'r  Price  got  heaps  of  trubble.  Dem  go- 
rillas done  rob  his  house  of  all  his  money  and 
all  de  nice  tings  he  hab  in  his  parlor." 

"When  did  they  do  that?"  inquired  the  cajj- 
tain. 


THE   LAKE   AND   THE   GUERILLAS   FOUND      361 

"Arly  dis  mornin',  fo'  sunrise,"  answered  Snow- 
ball. "Dey  done  took  mars'r  out  to  a  tree,  and 
tole  him  dey  hang  him  if  he  don't  tole  whar  his 
money  was  hid,  when  dey  couldn't  iind  it.  He 
done  tole  'em,  to  sabe  his  life." 

"  Where  are  those  guerillas  now  ?  "  asked 
Life. 

"  Dey  done  go  ober  to  de  oder  side  of  de  pond, 
and  camp  thar,  and  make  missus  cook  tings  for 
'em." 

"  Where  are  you  going,  Snowball  ?  " 
"  Ober  to  Franklin  fur  de  Hum  Guards." 
"  You  need  not  go.     We  have  over  a  thousand 
soldiers  on  this  road ;  and  we  will  see  your  mas- 
ter set  to  rights,   and  get   his   money   back    for 
him,"  added  Life. 

"  Bress  de  Lo'd !  "  exclaimed  Snowball,  ex- 
hibiting his  ivory  again. 

"I  want  you  now.     How  far  off  is  the  mill?" 
"Half  a  mile  from  here.     Jes'  ober  de  hill." 
The  captain  had  ordered  the  scout  that  brought 
information  about  the  road  to  bring  in  the  other 
two  men,  and  they  had  already  arrived. 

"  What  do  you  think  about  this  business.  Deck  ? 


362  AT    THE   FRONT 

What  had  we  better  do  ?  "  asked  Life,  turning 
to  the  major. 

"  Leave  your  men  here,  and  let  them  take  care 
of  our  horses  while  we  walk  up  the  hill  and  re- 
connoitre the  location,"  replied  Deck  so  promptly 
as  to  indicate  that  he  had  been  thinking  of  the 
matter  before.  "  Ask  the  darkey  to  show  us  a 
place  where  they  can  keep  out  of  sight  if  any 
one  happens  this  way." 

There  were  no  woods,  and  but  few  trees  along 
the  road ;  but  Snowball  pointed  out  an  "  oak 
nob,"  or  low  round-topped  hill,  near  the  highway, 
behind  which  the  men  and  horses  could  be  ef- 
fectually concealed,  and  Sergeant  Peters  was 
directed  to  get  behind  it  with  the  horses. 

"Now  lead  the  way  to  the  lake.  Snowball," 
said  Life ;  and  he  and  Deck  started  for  the  road 
that  led  to  it.  "  Don't  let  anybody  see  you  or 
see  us." 

"Nobody  can  see  you  till  you  done  git  to  de 
top  ob  de  hill,"  replied  the  negro  ;  and  what  he 
said  was  plain  enough  to  the  officers. 

Kentucky  has  a  considerable  variety  of  surface, 
the  eastern  part  being  hilly  and  even  mountain- 


TllK    LAKE    AND    THE    GUERILLAS    FOUND       363 

ous,  though  none  of  the  elevations  are  more  than 
three  thousand  feet  higli.  The  western  part  of 
the  State  consists  of  the  "barrens,"  as  they  are 
called ;  though  they  are  not  so  barren  as  the  name 
would  seem  to  indicate,  and  they  are  only  less  fer- 
tile than  the  hilly  regions  nearer  to  the  Ohio 
River.  Portions  of  this  region  are  what  would  be 
called  rolling  country  in  some  of  the  more  north- 
ern States.  There  are  but  few  elevations  which 
could  be  classed  as  hills,  for  hardly  one  of  them  is 
fifty  feet  high. 

But  on  the  barrens  are  a  great  many  "  oak 
knobs,"  which  are,  as  said  before,  low,  round- 
topped  elevations,  which  take  their  name  from  the 
trees  that  grow  on  them.  They  are  high  enough 
to  conceal  a  mounted  man  from  observation,  but 
not  lofty  enough  to  be.  looked  upon  as  hills  which 
reach  up  to  the  height  of  two  thousand  feet,  the 
dividing  line  between  a  hill  and  mountain.  This 
is  a  distinction  which  was  in  vogue  many  years 
ago,  and  it  may  not  be  generally  regarded  at  the 
present  time.  Of  these  knobs.  Deck  and  Life  had 
seen  them  farther  east  when  on  a  scouting  expedi- 
tion in  the  first  service  of  the  Riverlawn  squadron. 


364  AT   THE   FRONT 

The  two  officers  followed  Snowball  up  the  hill, 
which  was  hardly  entitled  to  the  name,  for  in 
walking  half  a  mile  they  had  hardly  ascended 
one  hundred  feet.  It  was  a  farming  country,  and 
of  reasonable  fertility,  as  the  strangers  observed 
the  still  unliarvested  crops  of  hemp  and  tobacco. 
Deck  counted  five  oak  knobs  in  the  fields  around 
him,  the  tallest  of  which  was  at  the  turn  of  the 
road  to  the  left  leading  to  the  miller's  house,  and 
at  the  right  of  it  they  could  see  the  water  of 
Greeger  Lake. 

"  We  must  not  go  much  farther  on  this  road,  or 
we  shall  show  ourselves  to  the  enemy  camped  on 
the  other  side  of  the  lake,"  suggested  Deck,  when 
they  had  gone  far  enough  to  see  a  portion  of  the 
sheet  of  water. 

"  No,  sar ;  dey  can't  see  you,  fur  de  knob  be- 
fore you  hide  you  from  dem,"  said  the  negro,  who 
doubtless  knew  the  exact  location  of  the  camp. 

The  officers  kept  on  up  the  gentle  slope  for  a 
few  minutes  longer,  looking  sharply  on  each  side 
of  the  knoll  for  any  appearance  of  the  guerillas ; 
but  they  came  to  the  obstruction  to  their  vision 
without  seeing  them.     The   captain  peered  with 


THE    LAKE    AND    THE    GUERILLAS    FOUND      365 

the  utmost  care  along  the  side  of  the  knob  at  the 
left,  while  the  major  did  the  same  at  the  right. 

"  They  are  eating  their  breakfast,"  said  Life,  as 
he  discovered  a  squad  of  them  close  to  the  water, 
in  which  a  flatboat  was  floating  close  by  the 
shore. 

"  What  is  that  boat  for,  Snowball  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Dey  make  missus  cook  de  meal  fur  dem,  and 
Sam  tote  it  ober  to  'em  in  de  boat,"  answered  the 
negro. 

"Who  is  Sam?" 

"  Anoder  nigger,"  grinned  Snowball. 

"They  have  evidently  about  finished  the  meal," 
said  Deck.  "  Sam  is  picking  up  the  pans  and 
dishes,  and  putting  them  into  the  boat." 

They  were  lighting  their  pipes  and  cigars,  and 
seemed  to  be  inclined  to  stay  where  they  were  till 
they  had  had  their  smoke.  Deck  was  Avilling; 
and  he  drew  some  paper  from  his  pocket,  placed 
his  cap  on  the  knob,  and  then  the  sheet  on  the 
cap.  Hastily  he  made  a  sketch  of  the  lake  and 
its  surroundings,  including  the  roads,  the  house 
of  the  miller,  and  even  the  knobs. 

"  All  right,   Deck ;   that  is  precisely  what  the 


366  AT    THE    FRONT 

colonel  will  want,  and  it  will  give  him  the  situa- 
tion better  than  half  an  hour's  talk,"  said  Life, 
when  he  saw  what  the  major  was  doing.  "  But 
I  must  go  down  to  the  road,  and  send  word  to 
Colonel  Gordon  what  we  have  discovered ;  "  and 
with  long  strides  he  began  to  descend  the  slope. 
When  he  reached  the  main  road  he  found  the 
column  was  in  sight.  Then  he  went  to  the  knoll 
where  the  men  and  horses  were  concealed,  and 
mounting  his  steed  rode  out  into  the  highway, 
and  without  pausing  an  instant,  galloped  towards 
the  approaching  force. 

"  Where  is  Major  Lyon  ?  "  demanded  the  com- 
mander, fearful  that  some  calamity  had  overtaken 
him. 

"  He  is  all  right.  We  found  the  enemy  camped 
on  the  side  of  Greeger  Lake,  taking  their  break- 
fast. The  major  is  making  a  drawing  of  the  place 
and  what  there  is  about  it.  We  shall  find  him  by 
the  time  we  get  to  the  road  by  which  we  leave 
this  one,"  replied  Life  briskly ;  but  the  column 
did  not  halt,  and  increased  its  speed  as  the  cap- 
tain took  his  place  at  the  head  of  his  company. 

Deck  did  not  take  any  time   to  polish  up  his 


THE    LAKE    AND    THE    GUERILLAS    FOUND       367 

sketch ;  but  as  soon  as  he  had  finished  the  draw- 
ing, he  marked  upon  it  the  positions  in  which  he 
thought  the  different  portions  of  the  command 
ought  to  be  placed.  He  judged  that  the  lake  was 
a  mile  and  a  half  long,  and  half  a  mile  wide.  It 
was  not  a  natural  body  of  water.  The  elevation 
on  each  side  of  it  had  probably  suggested  to  Mr. 
Greeger,  whoever  he  was,  that  a  mill-pond  could 
be*  made  between  them.  At  what  was  now  the 
foot  of  the  lake,  a  high  dam  had  been  constructed 
of  a  kind  of  stone  found  near  it  on  the  creek 
which  had  flowed  through  the  valley ;  and  the 
original  owner  had  very  successfully  carried  out 
his  idea.  After  he  built  it,  Deck  learned  from 
Price,  he  had  raised  the  dam  about  ten  feet,  and 
it  had  made  a  sheet  of  water  large  enough  to  be 
dignified  by  the  name  of  "  lake." 

Price  said  the  dam  was  now  twenty  feet  high, 
and  the  mill  stood  by  it.  It  had  been  placed  so 
low  that  the  power  had  never  failed  even  in  the 
dryest  times.  The  mill  was  reached  by  a  road 
passing  the  house  of  the  owner ;  and  a  bridge  had 
been  built  over  the  dam,  to  enable  the  miller,  who 
was  also  a  farmer,  to  reach  his  fields  on  the  other 


368  AT   THE   FllONT 

side  of  the  lake.  The  road  by  which  the  two 
officers  had  reached  the  knob  where  their  obser- 
vations had  been  made  also  extended  around  the 
lake,  passing  a  high  bridge  over  the  creek.  There 
was  no  road  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  lake, 
where  the  enemy  had  camped ;  but  the  slope  of 
the  hill  was  smooth,  and  grass  grew  upon  it  for 
several  rods  from  the  water. 

When  Deck  had  finished  the  positions  on  his 
plan,  he  hastened  down  to  the  main  road,  but 
found  that  the  column  had  moved  half-way  up 
the  hill,  to  make  sure  that  the  guerillas  should  not 
escape.  He  handed  his  plan  to  the  colonel,  who 
examined  it  carefully,  and  then  approved  even 
the  positions.  A  surprise  was  out  of  the  question 
in  such  an  open  country,  and  the  column  advanced 
at  full  speed. 


THE    ENGAGEMENT    AT   GREEGER   LAKE       369 


CHAPTER   XXVIII 

THE   ENGAGEINIENT   AT    GREEGER    LAKE 

The  column  completed  the  ascent  of  the  grad- 
ual slope.  Near  the  knob  at  the  turn  of  the  road 
to  the  house  and  the  mill,  the  fence  was  torn 
away,  and  the  battery  went  into  the  field  on  the 
right  of  the  road,  crossed  it  to  another  knob  at 
the  eastern  end  of  the  lake,  where  it  unlimbered 
the  guns,  and  Major  Batterson  placed  them  on 
each  side  of  the  hemispheric  elevation,  just  as 
Deck  had  marked  their  position  on  the  plan. 

Major  Truman's  battalion  passed  the  rest  of  the 
column,  as  it  had  the  farthest  to  go  to  its  posi- 
tion, and  galloped  along  the  road  that  led  by 
the  miller's  house,  crossed  the  bridge  near  the 
mill,  and  reached  its  station  on  the  other  side. 
As  the  squadron  had  been  reduced  to  three 
companies  by  the  leaving  of  Captain  Ripley's 
company  at  Millersville,  and  as  the  position  was 
more    isolated   than    any   other.    Captain    Knox's 


370  AT    THE   FRONT 

company  had  been  added  to  Major  Truman's 
command. 

Major  Belthorpe's  battalion  was  sent  by  the 
road  which  led  around  the  east  end  of  the  lake 
over  the  high  bridge,  to  a  knob  just  beyond  the 
creek.  Colonel  Gordon  and  Major  Bornwood 
stationed  themselves  at  the  knob  where  Deck  had 
made  his  sketch  of  the  lake  and  its  surroundings. 
He  had  marked  the  stations  of  the  various  por- 
tions of  the  force  just  as  SLuy  military  man  of  any 
experience  at  all  would  have  placed  them,  and 
there  was  no  especial  skill  required  to  do  so. 
The  colonel  found  no  reason  to  change  any  of 
them,  and  had  only  filled  the  vacancy  in  Tru- 
man's battalion,  and  added  Captain  Artie's  com- 
pany to  ]\Iajor  Belthorpe's,  leaving  Major  Lyon's 
command  with  only  three  companies ;  but  as  it 
was  to  be  the  reserve,  it  was  not  required  to  be 
as  strong  as  the  other  divisions. 

The  appearance  of  the  battery  at  the  head  of 
the  column  had  disturbed  the  guerillas  in  the 
enjoyment  of  their  smoke,  and  they  were  mount- 
ing their  horses  with  all  possible  haste.  They 
formed  in  six  companies,  and  looked  about  them 


THE   ENGAGEMENT   AT   GREEGER   LAKE       371 

with  a  bewildered  gaze  as  Major  Batterson  un- 
limbered  his  guns.  They  were  armed  with  mus- 
kets and  sabres,  and  seemed  to  be  very  well 
equipped.  The  captain  of  the  company  on  the 
left  of  the  line  wheeled  and  fired  a  volley  at  the 
battery ;  but  it  was  a  wasted  volley,  for  the  com- 
pany was  about  half  a  mile  distant  from  it,  and 
doubtless  the  firearms  were  of  the  inferior  quality 
the  Riverlawns  had  found  in  the  hands  of  the 
other  similar  forces  with  wliich  they  had  con- 
tended. 

The  battery  was  hardly  in  position  before  the 
second  battalion,  under  Major  Belthorpe,  arrived 
at  the  knob  on  the  left  of  the  enemy ;  and  by 
this  time  the  command  of  the  junior  major  had 
crossed  the  bridge  by  the  mill,  and  all  the  force 
were  in  their  positions.  Major  Lyon's  three  com- 
panies having  formed  in  the  road  between  the 
battery  and  the  knob  at  the  junction  of  the  roads, 
which  had  now  become  the  headquarters  of  the 
colonel. 

"  This  is  all  very  well  arranged,"  said  Colonel 
Gordon,  as  he  glanced  at  his  conmiand  in  various 
parts  of  the  field. 


oiZ  AT   THE   FEONT 

"  Major  Lyon  placed  the  force  exceedingly 
well ;  and  if  he  don't  become  a  brigadier-general 
within  another  year,  he  will  not  obtain  the  rank 
to  which  his  merit  entitles  him,"  replied  Major 
Bornwood. 

"  I  am  disposed  to  give  the  major  all  the  credit 
to  which  he  is  entitled,  —  and  he  is  always  en- 
titled to  a  large  share  of  it,  —  but  almost  any 
sergeant  in  this  force  could  have  done  it  just  as 
well,"  added  the  commander.  "  I  don't  see  how 
any  military  man  could  have  done  it  in  a  differ- 
ent way." 

"  Admirable  as  it  is,  it  looks  easy  enough  when 
it  is  done ;  but  I  think  it  was  quite  possible  for 
any  officer  to  make  a  blunder  in  arranging  the 
attack,"  said  the  staff-officer ;  and  he  proceeded 
to  state  how  the  dispositions  of  the  troops  might 
have  been  differently  made.  He  felt  that  the  vic- 
tory was  certain  to  be  on  the  side  of  the  loyal 
force,  and  he  was  almost  sure  that  the  enemy 
would  all  be  captured. 

Major  Batterson  had  been  ordered  to  open  upon 
the  guerillas  as  soon  as  he  had  his  guns  in  posi- 
tion, three  on  each  side  of  the  knob,  with  shells. 


THE    ENGAGEMENT    AT    GREEGER    LAKE        373 

And  when  all  was  ready  for  action,  the  conflict 
began  by  the  whizzing  of  the  first  of  these 
missiles  through  the  air  in  a  graceful  curve, 
the  fuse  so  well  timed  that  it  burst  directly  over 
the  heads  of  the  enemy,  and  not  far  above  them. 
A  minute  later  another  shell  followed  the  firsl, 
which  burst  nearer  the  ground,  scattering  its  con- 
tents among  the  ruffians ;  and  several  of  them 
dropped  from  their  saddles. 

The  enemy  were  panic-stricken  at  this  rude 
opening  upon  them,  and  they  began  to  fall  back 
up  the  slope  of  the  hill,  which  seemed  to  them 
to  be  the  only  way  open  to  them  for  retreat ;  but 
they  had  only  begun  to  move,  when  INIajor  Bel- 
thorpe's  battalion,  the  head  of  his  column  some 
distance  above  the  knob,  dashed  into  the  tobacco- 
field,  and  galloped  across  it,  till  it  was  halted 
abreast  of  the  middle  of  the  lake.  Starting  at 
about  the  same  moment.  Major  Truman  dashed 
up  the  slope  on  the  enemy's  right,  and  galloped 
at  a  furious  speed,  with  Captain  Knox's  company 
at  the  head  of  the  column,  till  it  halted  at  the 
head  of  the  line  of  the  second  battalion ;  but 
the  left  of  it  was  still  near  the  mill. 


374  AT    THE    FRONT 

The  two  columns  were  extended  in  a  curved 
line  from  the  knob  to  a  point  near  the  mill,  the 
centre  of  it  far  enough  back  from  the  lake  to  be 
out  of  the  reach  of  the  shells.  When  the  retreat- 
ing guerillas  found  this  line  of  cavalry  moving 
with  exceeding  briskness  in  their  rear,  they  halted ; 
for  this  avenue  of  escape  seemed  to  be  closed  to 
them,  unless  they  fought  their  way  through  the 
column.  Still  the  shells  were  pouring  in  on 
them  at  intervals  of  one  minute,  and  the  guerillas 
were  falling  from  their  saddles  dead  or  badly 
wounded.  But  the  enemy  had  become  desperate 
by  this  time.  Their  only  hope  of  escape  from 
the  death-dealing  shells  was  by  cutting  their 
way  through  the  line  which  had  formed  for  the 
charge. 

Colonel  Gordon  and  his  companion  at  the  first 
knob,  as  they  called  it  to  distinguish  it  from 
the  other  two  included  in  the  field  of  operations, 
were  using  their  field-glasses  in  examining  the 
enemy.  They  were  especiall}^  looking  for  the  of- 
ficers in  command  of  the  body,  particularly  for 
the  commander.  They  readily  identified  the  cap- 
tains,  for  each  of   them  was   with  his   conipanj' ; 


THE   ENGAGEMENT    AT   GREEGER   LAKE       375 

but  SO  far  they  had  been  unable  to  find  the 
chief  of  the  body,  if  there  was  such  a  personage 
among  them. 

"  Perhaps  there  is  no  officer  corresponding  to 
the  commander  of  a  battalion,"  suggested  the 
staff-officer. 

"  There  must  be  some  one  in  chief  command, 
some  Squire  Cameron,  unless  he  is  sleeping  oif 
the  whiskey  he  drank  before  his  breakfast,"  re- 
plied the  colonel. 

In  front  of  the  miller's  house  his  whole  fam- 
ily, including  several  black  men  and  women, 
were  gathered  to  witness  the  conflict.  Snowball 
had  wandered  up  as  far  as  the  first  knob,  and 
was  watching  the  affair  with  the  most  intense 
interest. 

"  Snowball,  who  is  that  man  coming  this  way 
from  the  house  ? "  asked  Colonel  Gordon,  who 
had  spoken  to  him  before. 

"Dat's  Mars'r  Price,  de  miller;  he  lib  in  dat 
house  yender,"  replied  the  negro. 

"  Do  you  know  of  how  much  money  the  gue- 
rillas robbed  him?" 

"No,  Mars'r  Ossifer ;  he  don't  tole  me." 


376  AT   THE   FRONT 

But  the  miller  himself  was  coming,  and  he 
could  answer  the  question. 

There  was  a  pause  in  the  conflict  after  the 
fourth  gun  of  the  battery  had  delivered  its  shell ; 
for  the  guerillas  in  their  desperation  had  evi- 
dently decided  to  cut  their  way  through  the 
column  in  their  rear,  and  they  had  approached 
so  near  the  Union  force  that  they  were  now  out 
of  danger  from  the  shells.  The  battalions  did 
not  charge ;  for  the  majors  were  sure  that  they 
would  drive  the  enemy  before  them  to  the  lake, 
and  thus  bring  their  men  within  the  scope  of 
the  shells.  But  Major  Batterson  had  stopped  his 
firing  when  he  saw  the  situation  on  the  slope. 
The  colonel  wrote  an  order  to  him  to  cease  fir- 
ing till  he  received  further  orders,  though  the 
Riverlawn  officers  did  not  know  it;  and  thus  the 
assault  seemed  to  be  "  hung  up  "  for  the  present. 

The  commander  also  sent  a  mounted  orderly 
to  the  majors  on  the  other  side  of  the  lake,  with 
the  information  that  he  had  ordered  the  battery 
to  cease  firing.  By  this  time  the  miller  had 
reached  the  first  knob,  and  the  colonel  desired 
to  obtain  some  information  from  him.     Mr.  Price 


THE   ENGAGEMENT   AT   GREEGER   LAKE       377 

was  a  man  of  middle  age,  who  talked  and  acted 
like  a  person  of  sound  sense. 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  you,  Mr.  Price,"  said  the 
colonel  when  he  came  within  speaking  distance. 

"  Well,  I  reckon  I'm  glad  to  see  you ;  and  I 
wish  you  had  been  here  early  this  morning,  for 
I  have  been  robbed  of  all  the  money  I  had  in 
the  world,  and  these  imps  of  Satan  have  loaded 
the  two  wagons  you  see  on  the  other  side  of  the 
pond  with  grain  and  flour  from  my  mill.  I 
reckon  you  are  in  command  of  the  soldiers  here," 
replied  the  miller. 

"  This  is  Colonel  Gordon,  commanding  the  Riv- 
erlawn  Cavalry  and  the  battery  attached  to  it," 
interposed  Major  Bornwood  by  way  of  introduc- 
tion. 

"•  Of  how  much  money  did  the  guerillas  rob 
you,  Mr.  Price?"  asked  the  colonel. 

"As  near  as  I  can  remember,  I  had  two  hun- 
dred and  forty-six  dollars  in  gold  and  some  sil- 
ver in  the  pocket-book  I  had  to  give  up  to  the 
head  of  the  imps,"  answered  the  owner  of  the 
mill. 

"You  had  to  give  it  up,  you  say?" 


378  AT   THE   FRONT 

"  Yes,  sir ;  I  had  it  hid  away  under  the  floor 
in  the  garret  of  my  house  yonder,"  he  answered, 
as  he  pointed  to  his  residence.  "  The  head  of 
the  gang  said  he  would  hang  me  till  I  was  dead 
if  I  did  not  give  it  up;  and  they  took  me  to 
a  tree  on  the  farm,  and  threw  a  rope  over  one 
of  the  limbs.  I  thought  I  would  stick  it  out, 
and  let  them  hang  me,  for  I  didn't  like  to  lose 
so  much  money  in  just  that  way ;  but  my  wife 
and  daughter  begged  so  hard  for  me  to  give  in, 
that  I  did  so  at  last."' 

"  Do  you  think  they  would  have  hung  you  ?  " 
inquired  the  colonel. 

"I  reckon  they  would,  for  I  know  they  did 
such  a  thing  over  in  Elkton.  The  head  of  the 
gang  went  with  me  to  the  garret  of  the  house ; 
and  I  took  up  the  board  where  it  was  hid,  and 
gave  him  the  pocket-book.  He  counted  the 
money,  and  said  it  was  all  right.  A  man  over 
in  Trenton  paid  me  two  hundred  dollars  for  flour 
a  few  days  ago  to  send  South,  and  he  must  have 
told  this  robber  that  he  did  so.  I  wouldn't  take 
no  Confederate  bills  for  it;  and  he  paid  me  in 
gold,  or  he  wouldn't  have  got  the  flour." 


They  threw  a  Rope  over  One  of  the  Limbs 


THE   ENGAGEMENT    AT    GREEGER    LAKE       379 

"You  sell  flour  to  go  South,  and  I  conclude 
you  are  a  Secessionist  yourself,"  suggested  the 
colonel  very  mildly. 

"  No,  Colonel  Gordon,  I'm  not,"  replied  Mr. 
Price.  "But  living  where  I  do,  it  is  hard  to  be 
a  Union  man.  I  mind  my  own  business,  keep 
my  views  to  myself ;  but  I  believe  in  the  old 
Union,  and  if  I  were  a  young  man  without  a 
large  family  to  support,  I  would  enlist  in  the 
Union  army." 

"When  my  officers  met  Snowball  in  the  road, 
he  told  them  he  was  going  over  to  Franklin  for 
the  Home  Guard.  Did  you  send  him  on  that 
errand?  " 

"  I  did ;  and  between  you  and  me,  I  belong 
to  that  company,  and  had  a  right  to  call  upon 
it  for  help.  I  served  in  the  company  when  it 
went  over  to  Hickory  Flat  to  save  a  Union  man's 
property  from  being  burned  by  a  mob  of  Seces- 
sionists." 

Major  Bornwood  interviewed  Snowball  in  re- 
gard to  the  truth  of  this  last  statement ;  and  the 
negro  confirmed  it,  and  said  he  went  with  his 
master,  and  carried  his  rifle  over  for  him.     The 


380  AT   THE   FRONT 

colonel  and  the  staff-officer  concluded  then  that 
the  miller  had  told  the  truth. 

"  Do  you  know  who  commands  this  gang  of 
ruffians,  Mr.  Price  ?  "  asked  the  colonel,  dropping 
the  other  matter. 

"  I  don't  know  him  ;  but  I  heard  some  of  the 
other  imps  call  him  Major  Gossley,  as  I  under- 
stood the  name." 

"All  right,  Mr.  Price.  Where  is  that  tree  of 
of  which  you  spoke  ?  " 

"It  is  over  by  that  knob,  with  the  rope  still 
hanging  from  the  limb,"  replied  the  miller. 

"  I  see  it.  Don't  remove  the  rope  from  it ;  for 
we  may  want  to  use  it,  though  I  hope  not.  I 
think  we  can  restore  to  you  all  the  property  you 
have  lost,  as  you  are  a  member  of  a  Home 
Guard,  and  not  of  a  State  Guard." 

"  I  shall  feel  happy  if  I  get  my  money  back," 
added  Mr.  Price,  who  saw  that  the  commander 
"  meant  business "  in  his  own  line,  and  he  had 
become  quite  cheerful. 

By  this  time  the  mounted  orderly  had  delivered 
his  information  to  the  majors  on  the  other  side 
of    the    lake.      The   effect  was  immediately  per- 


THE    ENGAGEMEJ^T   AT    GliEEGEE,    LAKE       381 

ceived.  The  column  had  formed  in  double  Ime, 
and  suddenly  "  stiffened  up  "  from  the  apathy  of 
waiting  for  the  movement.  Suddenly  it  dashed 
forward  upon  the  line  of  guerillas,  making  a  tre- 
mendous charge.  But  the  enemy  consisted  of 
fighting  men,  it  was  evident ;  and  they  stood  theif 
ground  with  decided  firmness. 

Both  officers  at  the  first .  mound  used  their 
glasses,  and  they  saw  that  a  furious  fight  had 
been  inaugurated.  Life's  company  of  giant  Ken- 
tuckians  near  the  centre  of  the  line  made  short 
work  of  the  pygmy  Southerners  in  front  of  them ; 
and  in  a  few  moments  they  had  hewn  their  way 
entirely  through  the  enemy's  column,  driving  be- 
fore them  all  who  were  not  killed  or  wounded. 
The  other  captains  went  into  the  fight  at  the 
head  of  their  companies ;  and  the  enemy  began 
to  give  way,  for  they  were  outnumbered  in  the 
ratio  of  two  to  three,  even  with  three  companies 
of  the  Union  force  not  engfaged. 

When  Life  made  his  break  .into  the  ranks  of 
the  guerillas,  the  major  suggested  that  one  com- 
pany of  the  reserve  be  sent  over  to  follow  him 
up ;    but  the   colonel  declined  to    do   so.     Then 


382  AT   THE    FRONT 

both  of  the  observers  mounted  their  horses,  and 
rode  over  to  the  second  knob,  where  the  battery 
was,  passing  Major  Lyon's  battalion  on  the  way. 
The  Union  line  had  pressed  the  enemy  so  hard 
that  it  had  driven  the  guerillas  nearly  to  the 
border  of  the  lake. 


THE   GIBBET-TREE   BY   THE   KNOB  383 


CHAPTER   XXIX 

THE    GIBBET-TREE    BY   THE   KNOB 

As  soon  as  Colonel  Gordon  reached  the  second 
knob  he  ordered  Major  Batterson  to  load  his  guns 
with  canister;  but  as  two  of  them  were  charged 
with  shells,  they  were  permitted  to  be  used  as 
prepared.  The  commander  sent  one  of  the  two 
orderlies  who  followed  him  wherever  he  went,  to 
summon  Major  Lyon  to  his  presence, 

"•  The  next  movement  of  the  enemy  is  appar- 
ent," said  the  colonel  as  soon  as  Deck  saluted 
him.  "  You  will  march  your  battalion  to  the 
south  side  of  the  lake,  and  post  them  near  the 
water  in  front  of  the  knob  and  tree  there  ;  then 
wait  for  further  orders." 

Deck  saluted,  and  then  hastened  to  his  com- 
mand, ordering  the  captains  to  move  their  com- 
panies at  a  gallop  to  the  point  directed  by  the 
colonel.  The  Riverlawns  on  the  north  side  of  the 
lake  were  still    pressing  the   enemy,  now  within 


384  AT   THE   FRONT 

ten  rods  of  the  water.  On  the  shore  of  the  lake 
was  an  officer  dressed  in  a  curious  uniform,  with 
gilt  leaves  on  his  shoulders ;  and  the  commander 
concluded  that  this  was  Major  Gossley,  in  command 
of  the  guerillas.  He  was  full  six  feet  high ;  and 
if  his  pluck  were  equal  to  his  bulk,  he  would  not 
permit  the  engagement  to  go  against  him  while 
it  was  possible  to  save  the  day.  He  was  mounted 
on  a  horse  much  larger  than  most  of  those  that 
carried  his  followers. 

Colonel  Gordon  observed  him  very  closely.  He 
was  doing  his  best  to  rally  the  companies  as  they 
■yielded  to  the  tremendous  charges  of  the  River- 
lawns ;  but  his  efforts  seemed  to  be  practically 
useless,  for  the  ruffians  still  fell  back  towards  the 
lake,  and  he  could  not  check  the  retreat  of  his 
force.  This  was  before  INIajor  Lyon's  command 
had  been  ordered  to  the  south  side  of  the  lake. 
A  few  minutes  later  the  colonel  sent  off  the 
orderly  for  Deck;  but  before  the  major  could 
reach  the  position  assigned  to  the  first  battalion, 
the  guerillas  broke  completely,  and  fled  to  the 
lake. 

Gossley  evidently  ordered  the  battalion  to  swim 


THE   GIBBET-TREE   BY    THE   KNOB  385 

their  horses  over  the  pond  to  the  other  side ;  and 
in  a  very  few  minutes  all  of  his  companies  had 
waded  into  the  water,  which  was  shallow  near  the 
shore.  The  Riverlawns  were  disposed  to  follow 
them,  and  fight  it  out  to  a  finish  in  the  lake. 
Colonel  Gordon  did  not  believe  in  this  step ;  for 
there  was  no  necessity  of  making  an  aquatic  en- 
gagement of  it,  when  there  was  plenty  of  land 
around  for  the  purpose.  He  rode  to  the  most 
exposed  place  on  the  shore  near  the  second  knob ; 
and  drawing  his  sabre,  he  waved  it  from  left  to 
right,  as  a  signal  for  the  line  to  move  back. 

At  the  same  time  he  sent  a  message  to  Major 
Belthorpe  not  to  swim  the  lake,  and  to  send  the 
companies  of  Captains  Gadsbury  and  Barnes  to 
the  other  side,  where  Deck's  battalion  had  just 
appeared.  The  officers  with  the  troopers  pressing 
the  enemy  into  the  lake  evidently  understood  the 
signal  of  the  colonel,  and  moved  their  men  back 
from  the  water.  The  two  companies  sent  for 
soon  appeared,  and  the  captains  were  directed  to 
report  to  Major  Lyon. 

Major  Gossley,  who  was  no  major  at  all,  took 
to  the  water  himself,  as  he  liad  doubtless  ordered 


386  AT    THE   FRONT 

his  command  to  do.  As  soon  as  the  horses  were 
clear  of  the  shore,  and  the  Riverlawns  had  fallen 
back  about  ten  rods  from  it,  Colonel  Gordon  or- 
dered Major  Batterson  to  open  fire  upon  the 
enemy,  using  the  two  shells  first. 

"  I  am  going  over  to  the  south  side  of  the  pond 
now.  Major,"  said  he.  "  When  I  hoist  my  cap  on 
the  end  of  my  sword,  you  will  cease  firing." 

The  colonel  had  a  blood  liorse  under  him,  and 
he  galloped  at  a  furious  speed  to  the  south  shore. 
He  had  not  reached  the  first  knob  when  the  roar 
of  the  cannon  and  the  whizzing  of  the  shell  en- 
gaged his  attention ;  and  without  decreasing  the 
gait  of  his  steed,  he  watched  the  effect.  Only 
three  saddles  were  emptied,  though  doubtless  sev- 
eral other  guerillas  had  been  wounded.  The 
second  shell  followed  with  about  the  same  effect. 
The  third  shot  sent  a  charge  of  canister  into  the 
midst  of  the  swimming  body,  and  the  result  was 
more  destructive.  A  panic  had  taken  possession 
of  the  guerillas.  Some  of  them  swam  their  steeds 
back  to  the  shore  they  had  just  left,  and  were 
made  prisoners  as  soon  as  they  landed. 

Major  Gossley  was  urging  forward  his  horse ; 


THE    GIBBET-TREE    BY    THE    KNOB  387 

and  if  ever  a  man  was  alarmed,  he  was.  He  was 
making  signals  to  the  troopers  on  the  shore,  and 
especially  to  Colonel  Gordon,  who  had  taken  a 
place  by  the  side  of  Major  Lyon  on  the  shore. 
He  was  swinging  his  cap  in  the  air. 

"What  does  he  mean  by  that,  Deck?"  asked 
the  colonel. 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't  know,"  replied  the  major. 

Finding  that  his  signals  were  not  understood, 
or  were  not  heeded,  he  shouted  something  in  a 
loud  voice,  which  neither  officers  nor  soldiers 
could  make  out.  The  guns  continued  to  pour 
canister  into  the  guerillas,  who  were  still  drop- 
ping from  their  saddles  into  the  water.  When 
the  demoralized  horde  had  reached  the  middle 
of  the  lake,  a  bright  suggestion  seemed  to  come 
into  the  head  of  the  leader.  He  drew  his  sword, 
which  had  before  been  a  useless  weapon  to  him, 
and  grasping  it  in  the  middle  of  the  blade,  he 
extended  it  with  the  handle  towards  the  shore, 
and  kept  it  moving  up  and  down. 

"It  is  easy  enough  to  understand  that,"  said 
the  colonel,  as  he  took  off  his  cap,  drew  his  sabre, 
and   hoisted    it   in   the   air  as  high  as   he   could 


388  AT   THE   FRONT 

reach,  making  the  signal  in  which  he  had  in- 
structed Major  Batterson.  The  artillery  officer 
had  been  on  the  lookout  for  it,  and  had  directed 
Lieutenants  Walker,  Castleton,  and  Phillips  to 
do  the  same ;  for  he  thought  it  was  time  to  cease 
firing  at  the  miserable  villains  in  the  water.  It 
was  promptly  seen,  and  not  another  gun  was  fired. 
An  orderly  was  sent  to  Major  Belthorpe,  and  a 
second  to  Major  Truman,  with  orders  to  move  to 
tlie  south  side  of  the  lake ;  for  the  battle  had  been 
fought  and  won. 

When  the  firing  ceased,  after  the  surrender  of 
the  chief  by  signal,  the  guerillas  in  the  water 
made  better  headway  towards  the  shore.  But 
some  of  them  were  wounded  so  badly  that  they 
could  not  manage  their  horses. 

The  boat  in  which  Sam  had  carried  the  break- 
fast over  to  the  guerillas  was  at  the  shore,  and 
Deck  sent  a  couple  of  men  in  it  to  assist  those 
who  were  unal)le  to  care  for  themselves.  But 
little  could  l)e  done  with  a  single  flatboat  com- 
pared with  the  need.  There  was  a  large  pile  of 
lumber  on  the  shore,  with  wliich  the  iniller  in- 
tended to  erect  an  out-building ;  and  Deck  ordered 


THE    GIBBET-TREE    BY    THE   KNOB  389 

Captain  Barnes  to  have  a  raft  built  by  his  men, 
and  sent  to  the  rescue  of  the  others.  The  miller, 
with  his  negroes,  assisted  in  this  work. 

"Do  you  know  what  Gossley  did  with  the 
pocket-book  when  j^ou  gave  it  to  him,  Mv.  Price  ?  " 
asked  the  colonel  when  he  met  the  miller. 

"I  do  know,  for  I  saw  him  put  it  into  the 
pocket  inside  of  his  vest,"  replied  Price. 

In  the  course  of  another  half-hour  the  gueril- 
las had  all  landed,  and  were  disarmed  by  the 
troopers  as  they  came  on  the  shore.  Gossley,  as 
soon  as  he  made  out  the  colonel,  presented  his 
sword  to  him.  The  commander  took  it,  and  in- 
timated that  he  had  some  further  business  with 
the  chief,  which  must  be  disposed  of  before  any- 
tliing  else  could  be  done.  The  guerilla  chief 
asked  the  colonel  if  he  had  any  whiskey  near ; 
and  the  latter  replied  that  no  liquor  was  used 
in  the  command  except  on  prescription  of  the 
doctor. 

"  I  am  informed  by  Mr.  Price  that  you  robbed 
him  of  a  large  sum  of  money,"  continued  the  colo- 
nel ;  "  that  you  threatened  to  hang  him  to  that 
tree  if  he  did  not  give  it  up." 


390    ■  AT   THE   FRONT 

"  That's  my  affair,  and  I  reckon  I  have  nothing 
to  say  about  it,"  replied  Gossley,  as  he  placed 
his  hand  on  his  chest,  as  if  to  assure  himself  that 
the  pocket-book  was  safe  where  he  had  placed  it. 

"  I  shall  take  the  liberty  to  make  it  my  affair 
also,"  added  the  commander.  "  I  will  trouble 
you  to  return  the  money  to  Mr.  Price,  from  whom 
you  took  it." 

"  I  will  not  do  it !  "  exclaimed  Gossley,  fold- 
ing his  arms,  and  struggling  to  look  dignified. 

"Then  I  shall  be  obliged  to  require  one  of 
Mr.  Price's  negroes  to  take  from  your  dead 
body,  at  the  foot  of  that  tree  yonder,  the  pocket- 
book  in  your  inside  vest  pocket,"  said  Colonel 
Gordon,  pointing  to  the  tree  with  the  rope  still 
dangling  from  one  of  its  limbs. 

"  What  do  you  mean,  sir  ?  "  demanded  Goss- 
ley, with  a  heavy  frown  on  his  brow,  and  straight- 
ening still  more  his  tall  form. 

"  I  think  you  can  understand  what  I  mean 
without  any  elaborate  explanations,"  replied  the 
officer. 

"I  do  not  understand  you,  Colonel,  for  I  sup- 
pose that  is  what  you  are"  — 


THE    GIBBET-TREE    BY   THE   KNOB  391 

"That  is  what  I  am." 

"If  you  will  explain  what  you  meant  by  that 
remark  about  the  negro  at  the  foot  of  that  tree,  I 
shall  be  obliged  to  you.  I  am  an  officer  like  your- 
self, sir  ;   and  I  am  entitled  to  an  explanation." 

"  Have  you  a  commission  from  the  Confede- 
rate government,   or  any  other  authority?" 

"  I  have  no  commission  except  that  signed  by 
the  six  captains  of  my  companies." 

"  That  is  no  commission  at  all ;  and  I  look 
upon  you  as  simply  the  chief  of  a  gang  of  gueril- 
las, with  no  authority  to  make  war  against  the 
United  States,  and  certainly  not  upon  peaceable 
citizens  like  Mr.  Price." 

"  What  makes  you  an  officer  if  I  am  not  one  ?  " 
demanded  the  chief,  with  an  expression  of  coun- 
tenance implying  contempt. 

"  The  commission  of  the  best  government  that 
God  ever  permitted  to  exist,  —  the  United  States 
of  America,"  returned  the  colonel  with  sufficient 
energy  to  emphasize  his  reply. 

"  God  will  not  permit  it  to  exist  much  longer, 
for  it  is  already  split  in  twain,"  sneered  the  gue- 
rilla chief. 


392  AT   THE   FRONT 

"With  a  million  men  in  the  field,  and  more 
millions  behind  them,  the  rebellion  will  be  crushed 
in  due  time.  But  you  have  not  even  the  author- 
ity of  your  unrecognized  government.  I  will 
not  debate  this  matter  with  such  a  person  as  you 
are,"  said  Colonel  Gordon,  who  veiled  his  con- 
tempt for  the  man  beneath  a  dignified  coun- 
tenance. 

"  Then,  will  you  tell  me  what  you  meant  by 
the  remark  I  asked  you  to  explain  ?  "  demanded 
the  freebooter  chief. 

"  I  will  if  your  understanding  is  not  equal 
to  the  interpretation  of  it,"  answered  the  loyal 
officer;  and  all  the  majors  and  some  of  the  cap- 
tains listened  to  him  with  intense  satisfaction. 
"After  you  had  searched  and  plundered  the 
house  of  Mr.  Price,  and  you  could  not  find  the 
money  you  had  been  informed  was  paid  to  him, 
you  brought  him  to  that  tree,  and  put  the  rope 
that  still  hangs  there  about  his  neck.  You  threat- 
ened to  hang  him  if  he  did  not  give  up  the  two 
hundred  and  forty-six  dollars  he  happened  to  have 
at  the  time,  and  which  he  had  concealed  in  the 
garret  of  his  house,"  continued   the   colonel,  re- 


THE    GIBBET-TREE    BY    THE    KNOB  393 

hearsing  the  events  of  the  morning  as  the  miller 
had  related  them  to  him.  "  Have  I  stated  the 
case  correctly  ?  " 

"I  suppose  you  have,"  replied  Gossley  dog- 
gedly. 

"Very  well;  and  as  you  decline  to  return  the 
money  to  its  legal  owner,  I  propose  to  serve  you 
in  the  same  manner,  and  not  to  waste  any  more 
time  about  it." 

"Do  the  Yankee  officers  hang  their  prisonei's?  " 
asked  the  guerilla  chief,  with  an  expression  on 
his  ruddy  face  that  he  had  put  a  "  clincher "  to 
the  colonel. 

"  Not  when  they  are  soldiers ;  but  when  they 
are  freebooters,  highwaymen,  acting  without  even 
the  authority  of  the  so-called  Confederate  govern- 
ment, they  may  do  so  as  a  measure  of  just  retalia- 
tion, as  in  the  present  instance." 

"  I  hung  no  man,"  said  Gossley,  as  doggedly  as 
before. 

"  But  you  had  the  rope  around  the  neck  of 
your  intended  victim,  and  would  have  done  so,  as 
the  highwayman  takes  the  pui-se  of  the  peaceful 
traveller  at  the  point  of  the  revolver.     But  I  will 


394  AT   THE   FRONT 

talk  no  more  about  it.  Captain  Knox,"  said  the 
colonel,  as  he  saw  Life  near  him  with  his  mouth 
half  open  listening  to  the  conversation. 

Life  stepped  briskly  forward,  and  saluted  the 
colonel,  realizing  that  he  was  to  take  part  in  an 
act  of  retributive  justice. 

"  Captain  Knox,  take  this  man  over  to  that  tree 
by  the  knob,  and  put  the  rope  dangling  from  it 
around  his  neck.  At  the  order  from  me,  your 
men  will  walk  away  with  the  other  end  of  the 
rope,  and  swing  him  up,"  said  Colonel  Gordon 
very  deliberately.  The  commander  ordered  the 
first  four  of  his  company  to  assist  their  captain. 
"  Mr.  Gossley,  if  you  have  any  prayers  to  say,  I 
will  wait  five  minutes  for  you  to  complete  your 
devotions.  That  is  a  favor  you  did  not  extend 
to  Mr.  Price." 

"No,  he  did  not,"  added  the  miller. 

"  Are  you  in  earnest.  Colonel  Gordon  ?  "  de- 
manded the  chief. 

"  I  am  in  earnest ;  and  as  sure  as  there  is  a 
good  and  just  God  in  heaven,  I  will  have  jon 
hanged  on  that  tree  till  you  are  dead,  if  you  do 
not  return  to  Mr.  Price  the  pocket-book  you  stole 


THE    GIBBET-TREE    BY    THE    KNOB.  395 

from  him;  and  it  must  be  done  before  the  rope 
is  put  around  your  neck,  for  then  it  will  be  too 
late,"  exclaimed  the  commander. 

"  The  money  is  mine  now  ;  I  will  not  give  it 
up,"  said  the  guerilla. 

"  Take  him  away.  Captain  Knox,"  added  the' 
commander. 

Gossley  held  back  as  though  he  intended  to 
resist ;  and  Life  seized  him  by  the  collar  of  his 
coat,  one  of  his  men  taking  him  on  the  other  side. 
They  dragged  him  to  the  tree,  the  miller  follow- 
ing them,  calling  Snowball  to  go  with  him.  The 
victim  was  actually  trembling  with  terror  in  spite 
of  the  bold  face  he  had  put  upon  the  situation. 
Before  they  reached  the  tree  Gossley  said  some- 
thing to  the  man  on  his  right,  and  then  drew  the 
pocket-book  from  the  inside  pocket.  The  tall 
Kentuckian  halted. 


896  AT   THE   FKONT 


CHAPTER   XXX 

DISCIPLINING   THE    GUERILLA   CHIEF 

The  man  on  tlie  right  of  the  prisoner  had 
loosened  his  hokl  so  that  Gossley  coukl  take  the 
pocket-book  from  the  inside  pocket  of  his  vest. 
The  moment  Life  saw  it,  he  released  his  hold 
upon  the  intended  victim,  whose  nerves  were 
not  strong  enough  to  enable  him  to  bear  the  strain 
upon  them.  The  colonel  had  assured  him  that 
it  would  be  too  late  after  the  rope  had  been  put 
around  his  neck,  and  he  had  taken  time  by  the 
forelock  before  he  reached  the  tree.  Possibly  at 
his  last  refusal  to  give  up  the  mone}^  he  had  some 
hope  that  his  gang  would  come  to  his  assistance; 
but  there  were  half  a  dozen  companies  of  Union 
cavalry  between  them  and  the  gibbet,  and  his 
men  were  prudent  enough  not  to  interfere  with 
the  proceedings. 

Gossley  tendered  the  pocket-book  to  Captain 
Knox,  who  declined  to  take  it,  very  much  to  the 


DISCIPLINING    THE    GUERILLA    CHIEF  397 

astonishment  of  Gossley,  who  was   still  shaking 
with  terror. 

"  Do  you  mean  to  hang  me,  though  I  have 
offered  to  give  up  the  pocket-hook  with  the  money 
in  it?"  demanded  the  prisoner. 

"  It  was  the  colonel's  order  tliat  you  return  the' 
money  to  Mr.  Price,"  replied  Life.  "My  busi- 
ness was  only  to  hang  you,  and  I  have  nothing  to 
do  with  the  pocket-book.  If  you  are  ready  to 
give  it  back  to  him,  we  will  return  to  Colonel 
Gordon,  and  let  him  see  you  do  it." 

"I  am  ready  to  give  it  up,  but  you  need  not 
mortify  me  any  more,"  pleaded  the  victim,  who 
had  some  pride  left  in  him. 

Life  made  no  reply  except  by  a  chuckle  at  the 
idea  of  mortifying  such  "  carrion,"  as  he  had 
called  him  more  than  once  in  his  conversation 
with  Lieutenant  Shapley  ;  and  he  grasped  his  man 
by  the  collar  again,  his  assistant  following  his 
example.  They  led  him  back  to  the  position  of 
the  colonel,  who  had  observed  the  proceedings 
with  intense  interest,  for  he  would  have  rejoiced 
to  escape  what  he  regarded  as  his  solemn  duty. 

"  What  now,  Captain  Knox  ?  "   asked    Colonel 


398  AT   THE   FEONT 

Gordon,  as  the  prisoner  was  halted  in  front  of 
him. 

"  He  offered  the  pocket-book  to  me ;  but  I 
would  not  take  it,  for  you  ordered  that  he  should 
return  it  to  Mr.  Price,"  replied  the  Kentuckian. 

"  Mr.  Gossley,  Mr.  Price  is  still  here.  If  you 
wish  to  return  the  money  you  stole  from  him,  now 
is  your  time,"  said  the  commander.  "  Otherwise 
the  hanging  will  proceed  as  ordered  before." 

"  That  captain  might  as  well  have  taken  it 
when  I  offered  it  to  him,"  answered  the  intended 
victim. 

"I  always  obey  orders,"  added  Life. 

The  guerilla  walked  over  to  the  spot  where  the 
miller  was  standing,  and  doggedly  tendered  the 
pocket-book  to  him ;  and  he  was  glad  enough 
to  see  it  again.  His  neck  bore  the  marks  of  the 
rope  that  had  been  put  around  it,  and  he  had 
lived  longer  that  day  than  in  any  former  year. 
He  took  his  treasure,  and  then  walked  up  to  the 
colonel  with  it  in  his  hand. 

"  Open  it,  Mr.  Price,  and  count  your  money ;  if 
any  of  it  is  missing,  the  rope  may  still  be  wanted." 

The   miller  seated  himself  on  a  log,  and  pro- 


DISCIPLINING    THE   GUERILLA   CHIEF  399 

ceeded  to  count  the  gold  and  the  other  money. 
He  was  quite  interested  in  the  operation,  for  he 
was  afraid  the  rohber  had  appropriated  some  por- 
tion of  it.  He  went  over  it  twice,  and  then 
reported  that  one  half-eagle  was  gone ;  but  the 
silver  and  the  bills  were  all  right. 

"  Am  I  to  be  hung  for  five  dollare  ?  "  demanded 
Gossley,  filled  with  indignation ;  and  he  began  to 
feel  about  in  the  pocket  where  the  proceeds  of  the 
robbery  had  been  placed. 

"  I  hope  not,"  replied  the  commander ;  and  he 
was  sincere  in  what  he  said. 

At  that  moment  Gossley  took  from  the  pocket 
the  missing  coin,  and  handed  it  to  the  miller. 

"  I  did  not  mean  to  keep  that  piece !  "  pro- 
tested the  guerilla,  evidently  believing  it  was  not 
too  late  to  hang  him.  "  The  piece  must  have 
dropped  out  of  the  pocket-book." 

"  I  don't  believe  you  did  intend  to  keep  it,  Mr. 
Gossley,  for  your  present  conduct  proves  that  you 
did  not,"  added  Colonel  Gordon,  as  he  asked  the 
miller  to  show  him  the  receptacle  for  his  gold. 

The  commander  looked  at  it,  and  found  that 
the  pocket  where  the  gold  was  had  an  opening  of 


400  AT   THE    FRONT 

half  its  width  at  one  end;  and  he  told  the  miller 
it  was  not  a  suitable  place  to  keep  his  money, 
except  the  bills ;  a  shot-bag  was  much  better. 

"  Are  .you  satisfied  now,  Mr.  Price  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Of  course  I  am ;  for  I  expected  I  should 
never  see  my  money  again,"  replied  the  miller. 
"  I  have  lost  enough  without  having  my  money, 
all  I  had  in  the  world,  stolen  from  me." 

"What  else  have  you  lost,  Mr.  Price?" 

"  The  villains  took  a  clock  that  cost  me  thirty 
dollars,  and  two  revolvers  from  my  chamber," 
answered  the  miller. 

"  Where  are  the  clock  and  the  revolvers,  Mr. 
Gossley  ?  "  demanded  the  colonel  imperatively. 

"  I  reckon  the  clock  is  in  oue  of  the  wagons  on 
the  other  side  of  the  pond,  and  I  don't  know 
where  the  revolvei'S  are.  I  suppose  they  will 
make  another  hanging  case,"  replied  the  guerilla 
chief,  frowning  and  looking  ugly.  "  I  haven't 
got  them ;  but  I  suppose  some  of  my  men  took 
them,  and  they  did  not  bring  them  to  me." 

"  I  shall  not  hang  you  on  account  of  the  weap- 
ons ;  but  they  must  be  given  up.  What  else 
have  you  lost,  Mr.  Price  ?  " 


DISCIPLINING    THE    GUERILLA    CHIEF  401 

"  I  don't  know ;  but  the  women-folks  can  tell 
you." 

"Send  for  them." 

The  wife  and  daughter  of  the  miller,  with  sev- 
eral smaller  children,  were  gathered  near  the  knob, 
watching  the  proceedings,  and  Snowball  was  sent 
for  them.  They  mentioned  several  articles  that 
had  been  taken  from  the  house,  and  a  memoran- 
dum was  made  of  them.  A  squad  from  one  of 
the  companies  was  sent  over  for  the  two  wagons, 
which  had  stood  all  the  forenoon  with  the  mules 
harnessed  to  them.  The  guerillas  were  formed 
in  line,  dismounted,  and  then  a  searching-party 
was  sent  along  the  lines,  who  required  every  man 
to  show  what  he  had  in  his  pockets.  Revolvers 
were  found  on  two  of  the  guerillas,  who  in- 
sisted that  they  had  brought  them  from  Tennes- 
see, from  whence  they  came. 

The  weapons  stolen  from  the  house  belonged  to 
Mr.  Price,  who  was  sent  for  to  examine  them. 
One  of  them,  he  claimed,  belonged  to  him  ;  and  he 
mentioned  a  file  mark  upon  them  before  he  saw 
them.  Lieutenant  Fronklyn,  who  was  in  charge 
of  the  searching-party,  declared  that  one  of  them 


402  AT    THE    FRONT 

belonged  to  the  miller,  and  the  other  did  not. 
No  one  could  say  that  the  search  had  not  been 
fairly  conducted.  On  a  member  of  another  com- 
pany a  revolver  was  discovered  upon  which  the 
same  marks  were  found,  and  it  was  returned  to 
the  owner.  Other  membere  of  the  several  com- 
panies had  most  of  the  articles  mentioned  by 
the  wife  and  daughter  of  the  miller  and  noted 
in  the  schedule,  and  they  were  taken  from  the 
plunderers.  In  fact,  nearly  everything  in  the  list 
was  reclaimed,  to  the  great  delight  of  the  family. 

The  examination  of  the  contents  of  the  wagons 
was  the  next  thing  in  order;  and  the  clock  was 
found,  carefully  packed  in  the  straw  at  the  bot- 
tom of  the  vehicle.  The  grain  and  flour  which 
had  been  stolen  from  the  mill  were  unloaded,  and 
several  other  articles  belonging  to  the  family 
were  discovered  when  they  were  removed.  Mrs. 
Price  declared  that  they  had  recovered  everything 
of  any  consequence  that  had  been  taken  from  the 
house,  and  the  miller  had  obtained  all  the  grain 
and  flour  he  had  lost. 

The  guerillas  had  been  required  to  take  all 
their  wounded  to  a  hospital  which  had  been  estab- 


DISCIPLINING    THE    GUERILLA    CHIEF  403 

lished  near  the  knoll  on  the  other  side  of  the  lake. 
There  was  a  surgeon  belonging  to  the  lawless 
gang ;  and  with  the  assistance  of  Dr.  Farnwright, 
the  sufferers  had  been  cared  for.  There  were 
many  dead  ruffians  collected  near  the  dam  at  the 
lower  end  of  the  lake,  and  the  prisoners  wei'e 
compelled  to  bury  them  in  a  spot  indicated  by  the 
miller. 

Long  as  it  has  taken  to  narrate  the  incidents  of 
the  forenoon,  it  was  not  much  after  noon  when 
the  work  seemed  to  be  completed.  The  wagon- 
train  of  the  loyal  force  had  been  halted  in  the 
road  leading  from  the  highway.  The  haversacks 
of  the  Riverlawns  were  well  filled  with  provis- 
ions; but  Mr.  Price,  who  had  butchered  an  ox 
the  day  before,  insisted  upon  cooking  a  meal  for 
the  men  who  had  rendered  such  valuable  service 
to  him,  and  his  wife  and  daughter  had  been  at 
work  upon  it  since  eleven  o'clock.  The  officers 
were  invited  to  the  house,  and  served  with  an 
abundance  of  beefsteaks,  rye  and  wheat  biscuits, 
and  other  solid  food.  As  fast  as  the  women 
could  prepare  it,  the  same  food  was  sent  out  to 
the  men ;  and  they  all  fared  substantially,  though 


404  AT   THE   FRONT 

not  elegantly,  that  day,  after  the  active  employ- 
ment and  the  march  of  the  morning. 

"  Where  shall  my  men  get  their  dinner,  Colonel 
Gordon  ?  "  asked  Gossley,  after  he  had  seen  the 
loyal   troops  so  well  fed. 

"  I  don't  know ;  I  am  not  the  caterer  of  your 
gang,"  replied  the  commander. 

"  Won't  you  order  Price  to  get  a  dinner  such  as 
your  men  have  had,  for  my  soldiers?"  he  asked. 

"No,  sir;  I  will  not!"  answered  Colonel  Gor- 
don very  decidedly.  "  Your  men  are  not  soldiers, 
they  are  nothing  but  brigands  ;  and  I  will  do  noth- 
ing to  assist  in  feeding  them,  for  I  have  been  in- 
formed that  there  is  plenty  of  pork,  bacon,  and 
corn-bread  in  your  wagons." 

"  But  that  is  rather  hard  fare  for  my  men  after 
seeing  yours  fed  with  beefsteaks,  potatoes,  and 
biscuits." 

"  Good  enough  for  banditti,"  answered  the 
colonel. 

"This  is  not  generous.  Colonel." 

"  Perhaps  not ;  but  I  mean  to  l)e  just  before  I 
am  generous.  A  word  more,  and  perhaps  about 
the  last  I  shall  have  to  say  to  you.     You  will  feed 


DISCIPLINING    THE    GUERILLA    CHIEF  405 

your  men,  if  yon  intend  to  do  so,  at  once ;  and  at 
three  o'clock  they  will  march  for  Franklin,  with 
my  force  in  their  rear.  If  they  do  not  behave 
themselves  properly,  and  keep  in  the  direct  road, 
I  will  open  upon  them  with  the  guns  of  my  bat- 
tery," said  Colonel  Gordon  in  the  emphatic  speetfh 
he  used  when  the  occasion  required. 

"You  drive  us  before  you  to  Franklin,  then?" 
asked  the  chief. 

"  I  certainly  shall  not  leave  you  here  where  you 
can  undo  all  that  I  have  done  to-day,  and  rob  Mr. 
Price  of  his  money,  his  grain,  and  his  flour,  as 
you  did  early  this  morning,'"  replied  the  com- 
mander. "  I  was  sent  here  by  the  general  of  the 
Department  to  dispose  of  six  hundred  guerillas ; 
and  I  think  I  have  done  my  work  well  so  far,  and 
I  don't  intend  to  leave  it  half  done." 

"  I  see  that  you  have  no  more  consideration  for 
my  men  than  you  would  have  for  the  same  num- 
ber of  mules." 

"  Mules  are  respectable  animals  compared  with 
the  banditti  you  have  brought  over  here  to  kill  and 
plunder  tlie  people  of  this  section  of  the  country. 
The  consideration  you  and  your  gang  need  is  the 


406  AT   THE   FRONT 

gallows,  or  long  terms  of  imprisonment ;  and  if 
the  civil  government  were  in  working  order  in 
this  part  of  Kentucky,  I  should  hand  you  over, 
especially  the  officers,  to  the  consideration  of  the 
sheriff  and  jurors.  But  enough  has  been  said; 
you  have  nothing  to  expect  or  hope  for  from  me. 
If  your  men  are  not  fed  and  ready  to  march  at 
three  o'clock,  they  will  move  on  empty  stomachs." 

"  What  is  to  be  done  with  us  when  we  get  to 
Franklin?"  asked  Gossley. 

"I  don't  know,  and  I  have  nothing  more  to 
say,"  replied  the  colonel,  as  he  stretched  himself 
on  the  grass  by  the  knob,  to  rest  himself  after  the 
fatigue  of  the  day.  The  quartermaster  of  the 
gang  distributed  bacon  and  corn-bread  to  the  com- 
panies, and  they  dined  upon  their  own  fare.  The 
loj^al  cavalrymen  had  fed  their  horses  and  mules, 
and  they  were  ready  to  move  before  the  time 
named  by  the  commander.  The  ruffians  did  not 
take  much  interest  in  their  dinner,  and  some 
of  them  were  seen  to  throw  their  rations  into 
the  lake.  At  a  quarter  before  three  the  bugles 
sounded,  and  the  companies  of  prisoners,  for 
such   they   really  were,    were    required    to    form 


DISCIPLINING   THE   GUERILLA   CHIEF         407 

in  column  of  fours  ;  but  they  were  in  a  re- 
bellious state  of  mind,  and  Captain  Knox  was 
sent  to  regulate  them.  Many  of  them  were 
brought  to  their  senses  by  blows  with  the  flat  of 
the  sabre,  and  they  were  finally  in  condition  to 
march.  But  it  was  decided  finally,  after  they  had 
behaved  themselves  badly  at  the  camp,  to  send 
Major  Belthorpe's  battalion  on  ahead  of  them  to 
keep  them  in  order. 

"  What  can  I  do  with  them  finally.  Major 
Bornwood?"  asked  the  colonel. 

"  They  are  an  elephant  on  your  hands,"  replied 
the  staff-officer.  "You  have  disarmed  them,  so 
that  they  can't  do  any  more  mischief.  Didn't  I 
hear  that  there  was  a  Home  Guard  in  Franklin, 
or  in  that  vicinity  ?  " 

"  There  is  such  a  body  here,  for  Price  told  me 
that  he  was  a  member  of  it,"  returned  the  colonel. 

"Then  I  advise  you  to  do  as  you  did  in  Mil- 
lersville,  —  turn  them  over  to  this  body." 

"  I  will  do  so  if  they  will  take  them ;  but  this 
town  is  only  a  few  miles  distant  from  Greeger 
Lake,  and  the  ruffians  would  return  and  do  their 
work  there   over  again.     I   advised  Price  not  to 


408  AT   THE   FRONT 

have  any  money  in  his  house ;  and  I  believe  there 
is  a  bank  in  Franklin.  However,  we  have  done 
all  we  could  for  him,  and  we  cannot  remain  here 
to  protect  him.  We  will  see  what  we  can  do 
with  the  ruffians  when  we  reach  our  present  des- 
tination." 

The  prisoners  made  no  little  trouble  on  the 
march,  a  whole  company  bolting  into  the  field,  at- 
tempting to  escape.  But  Captain  Abbey's  com- 
mand was  sent  after  them,  and  fired  into  them 
with  their  carbines.  Then  they  were  surrounded 
and  driven  back.  In  a  couple  of  hours  the  force 
reached  Franklin ;  and  Major  Bornwood  hastened 
to  the  post-office,  where  he  obtained  several  letters 
for  himself  and  others. 


MAJOR   LYON'S   march   INTO   TENNESSEE      409 


CHAPTER   XXXI 

MAJOR    LYON's    SIARCH    INTO   TENNESSEE 

Major  Lyon  received  three  letters,  the  most 
important  of  which  was  from  his  father,  who  de- 
clared that  he  had  entirely  recovered  from  his 
wound,  and  his  doctor  considered  him  in  fit  condi- 
tion to  return  to  duty.  He  intended  to  start  the 
following  morning  for  Franklin,  in  company  with 
Banks,  his  orderly,  who  had  been  left  at  Somer- 
set to  assist  in  taking  care  of  him.  Deck  reported 
this  news  to  Captain  Artie,  who  happened  to 
be  near  him;  and  they  rejoiced  together  that 
their  father  was  restored  to  liis  usual  excellent 
health. 

Another  letter  was  from  his  sister  Hope,  now 
fifteen  years  old.  She  told  him  all  about  every- 
thing at  Riverlawn,  and  all  were  well.  He  passed 
this  one  to  his  brotlier,  and  turned  to  the  third. 
As  soon  as  he  recognized  the  handwriting,  he  put 
it  in  his  pocket;   it  was  from  Kate  Belthorpe,  and 


410  AT   THE   FRONT 

he  preferred  to  read  it  in  the  quiet  of  his  tent. 
It  was  not  very  often  that  he  received  a  letter 
from  her,  and  those  he  did  get  were  simply 
friendly  epistles ;  for  Deck  was  a  bashful  young 
man,  and  he  would  not  have  dared  to  write  what 
is  called  a  love-letter,  though  he  did  a  great  deal 
of  pleasant  thinking  over  his  relations  with  the 
young  lady  whom  he  had  rescued  from  the  clutch 
of  a  ruffian  during  the  exciting  scenes  which  pre- 
ceded the  mustering-in  of  the  two  original  com- 
panies of  the  Riverlawn  Cavalry. 

The  guerilla  band,  hardly  numbering  five  hun- 
dred men  since  the  affair  at  Greeger  Lake,  had 
been  camped  in  a  field  just  outside  the  town,  with 
one  company  from  each  battalion  acting  as  a  guard 
over  them.  It  was  still  the  third  day  of  Septem- 
ber when  the  force  arrived  in  Franklin,  and  it  had 
not  yet  been  decided  what  should  be  done  with 
them.  They  were  a  crowd  of  reckless  ruffians, 
such  as  the  Riverlawns  had  encountered  before, 
the  meanest  of  the  "  white  trash  "  that  could  be 
collected  in  a  Southern  State ;  and  it  was  not 
prudent  to  turn  them  loose  upon  the  country. 
They  were  ready  to  plunder  any  plantation   that 


MAJOR    LYON'S    march    INTO    TENNESSEE      411 

would  afford  them  a  harvest,  without  regard  to 
the  politics  of  the  owner, 

Mr.  Price  was  fearful  that  they  would  be  set 
free,  and  make  another  visit  to  the  lake.  He  rode 
over  to  Franldin  late  in  the  day  to  satisfy  himself, 
and  had  deposited  his  money  in  the  safe  of  the 
bank.  Colonel  Gordon  could  not  say  what  he 
should  be  obliged  to  do  with  the  ruffians ;  but  he 
would  not  release  them  unless  he  was  obliged  to 
do  so  in  case  he  was  attacked  by  a  force  of  the 
enemy.  He  had  allowed  them  to  retain  their 
two  wagons,  with  the  mules,  after  they  had  been 
lightened  by  the  discharge  of  all  the  plundered 
property  they  contained.  All  their  provisions  of 
bacon  and  bread,  and  the  few  tents  they  had,  were 
not  disturbed. 

When  the  tents  for  the  force  had  been  pitched 
on  the  field.  Major  Bornwood  retired  to  the  mar- 
quee occupied  by  the  colonel  and  himself,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  read  the  voluminous  despatches  sent  to 
him  by  order  of  the  general.  But  they  contained 
no  order  relating  to  the  Riverlawns,  except  that 
they  were  to  remain  at  Franklin  till  their  des- 
tination should  be  given.     When  he  had  disposed 


412  AT   THE   FRONT 

of  them,  Colonel  Gordon,  who  had  issued  his  or- 
ders for  the  niglit,  joined  him  in  the  tent,  expect- 
ing to  be  informed  to  what  locality  the  regiment 
was  to  be  sent ;  but  the  staff-officer  had  no  orders 
for  him  except  to  remain  where  he  was. 

"  No  orders  !  "  exclaimed  the  colonel,  when  the 
major  had  stated  the  fact.  "  I  supposed  we  should 
be  needed  at  some  threatened  point." 

"I  had  supposed  so  myself,"  replied  Major. 
Bornwood.  "  But  the  general  is  in  rather  a  har- 
assing position.  He  is  at  Nashville,  watching  and 
collecting  information  in  regard  to  the  movements 
of  General  Bragg.  The  enemy's  objective  point 
now  is  to  get  possession  of  the  Ohio  River,  where 
they  can  menace  Cincinnati,  and  capture  Louis- 
ville. Kirby  Smith's  army  is  moving  in  that 
direction.  The  general  is  in  doubt  whether  Bragg 
intends  to  capture  Nashville,  or  move  across  the 
State  and  take  Louisville.  All  we  can  do  is  to 
wait  for  further  developments." 

"  How  long  are  we  to  remain  here,  Major  ? " 
asked  the  colonel. 

"  Of  course  I  don't  know  any  better  than  you 
do.     The  railroad  and  the  telegraph  are  open  to 


MAJOR    LYON's   MAUCH    INTO    TENNESSEE      413 

Nashville,  which  is  only  about  fifty  miles  from 
Franklin  ;  and  we  may  get  an  order  at  any  hour  of 
day  or  night  to  march." 

"  I  don't  seek  to  know  what  does  not  concern 
me,  but  I  don't  care  to  feed  five  hundred  ruffian 
prisoners  for  a  week  or  more,"  answered  Colonel 
Gordon.  "Their  rations,  poor  as  they  are,  will 
last  them  only  a  day  or  two  longer,  their  quarter- 
master informed  me  this  afternoon.  If  they  were 
prisoners  from  the  Confederate  army  I  should  not 
object." 

"  I  see ;  and  they  are  an  elephant  on  your 
hands,"  added  the  major,  musing. 

"  I  have  ordered  Hickman,  the  quartermaster 
of  our  force,  to  purchase  additional  rations  for  our 
own  force  ;  and  they  are  not  readily  to  be  obtained 
in  this  vicinity." 

"  You  must  get  rid  of  them,  for  they  are  a  nui- 
sance to  you,"  added  the  major. 

"  That  is  so ;  but  how  am  I  to  get  rid  of 
them?"   demanded  the  commander. 

"  Major  Lyon  informs  me  that  he  has  a  letter 
from  his  father,  saying  that  he  has  fully  recovered 
from  his  wound,  and  will  rejoin  the  regiment  in 


414  AT   THE    FRONT 

two  or  three  days.  As  the  mails  are  rather  slo^y, 
he  may  be  expected  at  any  time.  I  don't  care  to 
saddle  this  encumbrance  of  half  a  thousand  pris- 
oners upon  him  when  he  arrives." 

"  We  are  not  ten  miles  from  the  Tennessee  line  ; 
and  I  suggest  that  you  send  them  into  their  own 
State,  under  escort  of  Major  Lyon's  battalion." 

"As  we  are  likely  to  remain  here  some  days, 
that  is  an  excellent  idea ;  and  I  shall  adopt  it  at 
once,  for  I  am  anxious  to  get  rid  of  the  nui- 
sance, and  I  will  start  them  off  to-morrow  morn- 
ing," said  the  colonel,  rubbing  his  hands  to  express 
his  satisfaction  with  the  remedy.  "  Sentinel,  send 
for  Major  Lyon." 

Deck  soon  made  his  appearance,  and  found  the 
two  officers  in  the  tent  studying  the  map  on  the 
table.  He  was  informed  of  the  mission  that  had 
been  arranged  for  him,  to  which  he  did  not  object, 
as  he  never  did  to  any  order. 

"  But  I  am  not  clear  that  it  is  advisable  to  send 
the  ruffians  over  the  line  at  its  nearest  point,  for 
the  first  town  or  village  in  Tennessee  to  which 
they  would  come  to  would  be  Fountain  Head, 
which  is   not   more    than   twelve    or  fifteen  miles 


MAJOr.    LYON'S    march    into    TENNESSEE      415 

from  Franklin ;  and  they  could  easily  return,  as 
they  have  their  horses.  Besides,  the  vanguard  of 
Bragg's  army  may  be  coming  this  way  about  this 
time.  I  think  it  would  be  more  prudent  to  send 
the  villains  to  some  point  farther  off,  though  it 
will  make  a  longer  march  for  Major  Lyon." 

"  Never  mind  the  length  of  the  march,"  inter- 
posed Deck. 

"  Then,  send  him  to  Scottville,  about  twenty- 
five  miles  from  here,  and  then  turn  to  the  south- 
east on  the  road  to  Lafayette,  near  which  the 
major  can  turn  them  adrift,  and  let  them  shift 
for  themselves,"  continued  Major  Born  wood,  still 
studying  the  map.  "  The  main  thing  is  to  get  the 
rascals  as  far  off  as  possible,  and  make  sure  that 
they  don't   return." 

Deck  had  studied  his  map  of  tliis  vicinity  very 
carefully  when  the  force  halted  at  Palmyra  the 
night  before,  and  he  knew  the  roads  very  well  on 
both  sides  of  the  line.  The  duty  would  require 
a  forty-mile  march  for  his  command ;  but  he  re- 
garded this  as  of  no  account  when  he  realized 
the  importance  of  getting  rid  of  the  guerillas. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  Major  Bornwood,  but  you 


416  AT   THE   FRONT 

suggested  that  Bragg's  army  might  be  coming 
this  way  on  his  route  to  the  north,"  interposed 
Deck.  "  He  has  not  announced  by  what  roads 
he  will  march,  and  isn't  it  possible  that  he  may 
come  by  the  way  of  Lafayette  and  Scottville  ?  " 

"  Of  course  we  don't  know  which  way  he  will 
come,  or  even  if  he  doesn't  choose  to  enter  Ken- 
tucky by  Cumberland  Gap.  If  you  find  him  in 
front  of  you,  Major,  all  you  have  to  do  is  to  give 
the  vagabonds  the  slip,  and  put  some  miles  be- 
tween you  and  the  enemy.  Of  course  the  cavalry 
will  be  in  the  advance." 

"But  you  will  not  engage  them.  Major  Lyon," 
said  Colonel  Gordon  very  decidedly. 

"Certainly  not,  as  I  am  so  ordered,"  replied 
Deck,  though  he  was  very  sorry  to  receive  the 
command.  "I  have  only  one  thing  to  request 
Colonel.  I  am  liable,  though  not  likely,  to  meet 
a  force  of  the  enemy;  I  shall  ask  that  Captain 
Knox's  company  be  added  to  my  battalion." 

"  The  request  is  granted,"  replied  the  com- 
mander, with  a  smile  ;  for  he  knew  how  much  the 
tall  Kentuckian  was  attached  to  the  young  officer, 
and  he  thought  it  would  be  safer  to  have  an  ade- 


MAJOR   LYON'S   march   INTO   TENNESSEE      417 

quate  force,  for  the  ruffians,  though  unarmed, 
outnumbered  his  battahon. 

The  sentinels  at  the  prison  camp  were  in- 
structed to  allow  no  person  to  communicate  with 
the  guerillas  during  the  night ;  and  Major  Truman, 
who  was  in  charge  of  the  camp,  was  directed  to 
see  that  this  order  was  strictly  enforced.  The  ruf- 
fians were  not  to  be  informed  what  was  to  be  done 
with  them  in  the  morning.  But  Deck  made  all  his 
preparations  for  the  march.  The  men  were  to  take 
two  days'  rations  with  them,  with  not  even  a  shel- 
ter tent;  for  it  was  early  in  September,  and  the 
climate  was  very  pleasant.  The  guerillas  were 
mustered  in  the  morning  by  the  battalion  in 
charge  of  them,  after  they  and  their  horses  had 
had  their  breakfast.  They  had  the  provender 
for  their  animals  in  the  two  wagons  with  their 
rations. 

The  five  companies  in  charge  of  them  were 
placed  in  their  front  and  rear,  and  ISIajor  Lyon 
gave  the  order  to  march.  At  two  o'clock  the  col- 
umn reached  Scottville,  after  dinner  on  the  road. 
They  made  no  halt  at  this  place,  but  took  the 
road    to   the   south  without  answering   the   ques- 


418  AT  THE  rEo:NT 

tions  of  the  inhabitants.  The  prisoners  asked 
their  custodians  what  was  to  be  done  with  them 
whenever  they  had  the  opportunity ;  but  they  were 
not  answered,  for  Deck  had  ordered  his  command 
to  have  no  communication  with  tliem. 

At  five  o'clock  in  tlie  afternoon  they  had  made 
about  twelve  miles  from  Scottville,  and  came  to 
the  point  where  the  road  crossed  Long  Creek  by  a 
bridge.  Major  Lyon  decided  to  camp  on  the  bank 
of  the  stream.  There  was  a  piece  of  woods  some 
distance  from  the  camp,  and  he  ordered  that  the 
horses  of  the  prisoners  should  be  picketed  there. 
A  guard  of  two  companies  surrounded  the  ma- 
rauders, for  Deck  determined  that  he  would  not 
lose  any  of  them  after  he  had  come  so  far.  He 
was  mindful  of  his  orders  to  place  them  where 
they  could  not  easily  get  back  to  the  rich  country 
they  had  pillaged  before.  The  ruffians  had  blan- 
kets ;  and,  as  soon  as  they  had  eaten  their  supper, 
they  rolled  themselves  up,  stretched  out  on  the 
grass,  and  went  to  sleep.  The  darkness  settled 
down  upon  the  camp  of  the  prisoners  and  of  the 
command.  But  Deck  did  not  lie  down  or  go  to 
sleep. 


MAJOR    LYON's    march    INTO    TENNESSEE      419 

About  ten  o'clock,  when  the  guerillas  were 
sleepmg  as  soundly  as  though  they  were  in  their 
last  slumber,  Deck  walked  on  the  bank  of  the 
creek  to  the  limit  of  the  camp  of  his  force ;  and 
there  he  found  Life  Knox  with  about  twenty  of 
his  men,  all  mounted.  It  was  evident  enough 
that  something  was  on  foot,  but  only  Deck  and 
Life  could  have  told  what  it  was. 

"  I  did  not  have  a  good  chance  to  explain  what 
is  needed  to  be  done,"  said  the  commander  of  the 
force  in  a  low  tone  to  Captain  Knox. 

"  I  reckon  I  know  from  what  you  said  to  me 
just  what  is  to  be  done,"  replied  the  captain.  "  I 
have  enough  of  my  best  men  to  do  it,  and  do  it 
well.  They  shall  all  be  turned  loose  in  ten  min- 
utes." 

"  But  that  is  not  the  most  important  part  of  the 
duty,"  added  Deck. 

"  I  know  it  is  not ;  but  my  men  shall  drive 
them  as  far  as  the  nature  of  the  country  will 
allow.  I  will  make  it  live  miles  sure,  and  ten  if 
can. 

"  All  right,  Life ;  you  understand  the  matter 
perfectly." 


420  AT   THE   FRONT 

"  I  do ;  and  I  reckon  none  of  those  horses  will 
ever  drink  any  more  Avater  out  of  Greeger  Lake," 
replied  the  captain,  as  he  left  Deck  and  followed 
the  stream  to  the  place  where  his  men  were 
stationed. 

He  went  at  a  gallop,  and  did  not  halt,  but  con- 
tinued to  run  his  horse  along  the  stream,  followed 
by  all  his  men.  Deck  watched  them  for  a  few 
minutes  till  the  darkness  concealed  them,  and 
then  he  walked  back  to  the  camp  of  his  battalion. 
The  sentinels  were  wide  awake,  and  nothing  had 
been  heard  from  the  other  camp.  Everything 
seemed  to  be  in  good  order  and  condition ;  and  he 
rolled  himself  up  in  his  blanket,  stretched  himself 
on  the  softest  place  he  could  find,  and  was  soon 
asleep.  There  was  no  event  to  disturb  him  or  his 
men,  or  even  the  prisoners,  during  the  night. 

At  daylight  the  assembly  sounded,  and  the 
command  were  soon  on  their  feet.  Deck  had  sent 
four  scouts  on  the  road  toward  Lafayette  to  give 
early  notice  if  they  discovered  the  approach  of  the 
head  of  the  Confederate  army  of  Bragg,  or  any 
other  force ;  but  the  enemy  did  not  appear.  The 
major    had    suggested    that    the    Southern    army 


MAJOR   LYON's   MAKCH   INTO  TENNESSEE     421 

might  take  the  road  by  which  he  had  come,  at 
k^ast  as  far  as  Scottville,  while  Major  Bornwood 
seemed  to  think  it  would  approach  its  northern 
destination  by  Gallatin  and  Franklin.  It  after- 
wards proved  that  Bragg  did  take  the  road  by 
which  Deck's  command  had  come  from  Scottville, 
having  crossed  the  Cumberland  River  at  Car- 
thage ;  but  it  was  a  week  later  than  the  major's 
march. 

The  men  took  their  breakfast  at  an  early  hour 
from  their  haversacks,  while  the  prisoners  suited 
themselves  in  regard  to  the  meal;  but  an  order 
Avas  sent  to  them  to  be  ready  to  march  by  seven 
o'clock.  The  Riverlawn  regiment  was  in  column 
at  that  hour,  and  most  of  the  men  believed  they 
were  to  march  farther  into  the  enemy's  country. 
Major  Lyon  sat  on  his  steed  in  the  road;  and 
great  was  the  astonishment  of  the  privates  when 
Captain  Abbey's  company  turned  to  the  right  in- 
stead of  the  left,  for  the  former  led  back  to  Scott- 
ville, from  which  they  had  come  the  day  before. 

"  Battalion,  gallop !  "  shouted  Deck  as  soon  as 
all  the  companies  were  in  the  road ;  and  the  com- 
mand soon  disappeared  at  a  bend  of  the  highway. 


422  AT   THE   FRONT 


CHAPTER   XXXII 

DECK   RESORTS   TO   A    "YANKEE  TRICK " 

When  the  battalion  had  gone  a  couple  of  miles 
the  speed  was  reduced;  and  Major  Lyon  placed 
himself  at  the  side  of  Captain  Knox,  whom  he 
had  not  seen  since  he  met  him  the  evening  before 
on  the  bank  of  the  stream,  when  it  was  evident 
that  the  big  Kentuckian  had  a  mission  before  him. 
The  nature  of  the  duty  had  not  been  stated  in  the 
camp.  Twenty  men  had  left  the  camp  while  most 
of  the  cavalrymen  were  asleep  in  their  blankets  ; 
and  as  long  as  those  awake  were  called,  they  did 
not  trouble  themselves  about  the  matter. 

"■  I  haven't  had  any  chance  to  report  to  you. 
Major  Lyon,"  said  Life,  as  soon  as  his  superior 
officer  was  within  speaking  distance  of  him.  "  I 
had  to  keep  so  quiet  that  I  could  not  talk  to  you 
without  some  one  hearing  me." 

"  It  was  all  right,  Life.  I  knew  that  you  had 
done  your  work  properly,  as  you  always  do ;  and  I 


DECK    RESORTS    TO    A    "YANKEE    TRICK  "         423 

did  not  care  for  any  report  from  you/'  replied 
Deck  in  his  familiar  manner  with  the  captain,  for 
they  were  fast  friends. 

The  major  had  been  on  secret  service  with  him, 
and  was  indebted  to  him  for  the  fidelity  with 
which  he  had  served  him,  as  well  individually  as 
in  the  line  of  his  duty.  On  the  other  hand,  Life 
had  joined  the  company  as  a  private,  and  had 
soon  proved  that  he  was  a  very  valuable  man ;  he 
believed  that  he  owed  all  his  promotions  to  his 
present  rank,  which  he  had  never  expected  to 
reach,  to  the  influence  of  the  major,  though  it 
was  really  his  own  merit  that  had  procured  his 
advancement.  Then,  when  they  had  not  been 
actively  employed,  Deck  had  taken  a  great  deal  of 
pains  to  improve  his  mind,  recall  his  early  studies, 
and  especially  to  improve  the  quality  of  his  lan- 
guage. 

"Did  you  have  any  trouble  with  the  horses 
last  night.  Life?"  asked  Deck. 

"  Not  a  great  deal ;  my  men  were  at  home  in 
handling  horses.  We  turned  them  all  loose  from 
the  picket-line,  fixing  their  halters  on  their  necks, 
and  carried  off  the  rope  to  which  they  had  been 


424  AT   THE   FRONT 

tied,  and  left  no  sign  that  horses  had  ever  been 
tied  there,  except  the  marks  of  their  feet  in  the 
soil ;  but  their  tracks  could  have  been  followed 
for  ten  miles  farther.  Then  we  swam  them  over 
a  creek  of  which  the  one  we  camped  on  is  a 
branch." 

"  Then,   you    left    them    ten    miles    from    the 


camp 


"  That  is  what  we  did,  for  you  said  take  them 
ten  miles  if  we  could." 

"  Then,  they  must  be  up  in  Monroe  County  in 
Kentucky.  Well,  they  are  far  enougli  off  to  pre- 
vent the  ruffians  from  finding  them  again  very 
soon,"  added  Deck  as  he  rode  forward  to  the  head 
of  the  column. 

The  Tennessee  raiders  had  been  not  a  little  as- 
tonished that  morning  that  they  were  not  routed 
out  as  usual,  and  still  more  so  when  they  saw  the 
major's  battalion  march  out  of  the  camp  into  the 
road  without  receiving  any  orders.  They  saw 
their  custodians  take  the  road  to  Scottville  instead 
of  that  to  the  south.  Gossley,  when  he  discovered 
that  his  gang  were  no  longer  surrounded  with 
guards,    walked    out    into   the    highway,  and  ob- 


DECK   RESORTS   TO   A    "  YANKEE   TRICK  *'      425 

served  the  departing  Riverlawns.  He  did  not 
understand  it,  and  presently  some  of  the  officers 
and  privates  joined  him. 

"  What  do  you  make  of  this,  ColUer  ? "  he 
asked  of  a  captain. 

"  That's  not  a  hard  question,"  replied  Collier, 
laughing. 

"Answer  it,  then." 

"I  reckon  the  Yanks  ain't  going  any  farther 
with  us,"  said  the  captain,  who  seemed  to  be 
greatly  pleased  that  they  had  got  rid  of  them. 

"  I  reckon  that's  so,"  added  the  chief ;  and  he 
also  laughed,  for  they  had  not  enjoyed  the  sever- 
ity of  the  discipline  to  which  they  had  been  sub-- 
jected.  "  We  can  have  it  all  our  own  way  now, 
and  if  we  don't  fool  the  Yanks  it  won't  be  my 
fault,"  changing  his  smiles  into  a  malignant 
fro^vn. 

"What  are  you  going  to  do  about  it.  Major?  " 
inquired  Captain  Collier. 

"  I  reckon  we'll  finish  the  work  we  began," 
answered  Gossley,  scowling  all  the  time.  "  It 
made  me  mad  to  have  to  give  up  near  two  hun- 
dred  and  fifty   dollars,   and  all   the   rest  of   the 


426  AT    THE   FRONT 

things  we  had  put  in  our  pockets  or  loaded  on 
the  wagons ;  and  I'm  going  back  to  do  it  over 
again.  Let's  have  breakfast,  and  then  we'll  take 
a  short  cut  I  know  over  to  Fountain  Head. 
From  there  we'll  cross  the  line  just  south  of 
Greeger  Lake,  and  be  there  by  to-morrow  morn- 
ing. That's  the  plan  now;  and  it  is  not  more 
than  forty  miles  to  the  place  where  Price  will 
hand  over  his  money  again,  or  hang  to  that  tree. 
We  mean  business  now." 

Breakfast,  such  as  it  was,  came  in  due  time ; 
and  then  the  men  were  sent  over  to  the  woods  to 
bring  up  the  horses.  Captain  Collier  went  with 
them.  They  did  not  find  their  horses  where  they 
had  been  compelled  to  picket  them.  They  could 
not  even  find  the  rope  to  which  they  had  been 
tied.  The  tracks  of  the  horses  were  there,  and 
that  was  all.  They  followed  the  hoof-prints  of 
the  animals  for  about  five  miles ;  but  they  were 
tired,  and  could  not  go  any  farther.  The  captain 
sent  a  man  back  to  report  to  the  chief  that  the 
horses  had  disappeared,  and  they  had  followed 
their  tracks  for  five  miles  ;  and  they  were  going 
farther  after  resting  the  men. 


DECK  "RESORTS    TO    A    "  YANKEE    TRICK  "       427 

They  did  go  five  miles  farther,  and  there  the 
marks  were  not  to  be  seen.  This  was  the  point 
where  Life  had  driven  them  across  a  wide  and 
deep  creek.  The  animals  were  not  to  be  seen 
on  the  other  side  ;  and  doubtless  they  had  contin- 
ued their  march  farther  into  the  country,  in 
search  of  greener  pastures.  Collier  swore  as  the 
only  vent  he  had  for  his  wrath  and  indignation. 
The  creek  was  broad  and  deep,  and  they  could 
not  swim  over  it.  They  were  compelled  to  aban- 
don the  search.  They  were  again  tired  enough 
to  need  "a  rest,  and  they  had  ten  miles  to  walk 
before  they  could  reach  the  camp.  They  arrived 
in  the  middle  of  the  afternoon,  where  the  chief 
was  doing  a  large  amount  of  swearing  on  his 
own  account.     The  captain  reported  to  him. 

"  It  was  a  Yankee  trick !  "  exclaimed  Gossley, 
with  a  superabundance  of  expletives,  which  did 
not  seem  to  make  him  feel  any  better,  for  they 
never  have  that  effect.  "  They  drove  the  horses 
off,  so  that  we  should  not  get  them  again !  " 
.  "  That  was  the  game,  and  I  reckon  we  are 
dished,"  added  the  captain. 

"  I  should  like  to   hang    that  young  cub  of  a 


428  AT   THE   FRONT 

major,  and  about  twenty  more  of  them,  just  to 
give  them  an  idea  of  Tennessee  justice." 

"  I  don't  reckon  we  can  catch  them  again, 
and  I  don't  beheve  you'll  hang  any  of  them," 
added  Collier.  "  The  question  now  is  not  hang- 
ing, but  what  are  we  going  to  do  ?  " 

"Huff  it  home,"  suggested  a  private  who  was 
standing  near  them. 

They  talked  about  it  for  an  hour ;  but  the 
more  the}-  talked  the  more  they  found  they 
could  do  nothing  to  repeat  the  raid,  as  the  chief 
had  proposed ;  without  their  horses  they  were 
helpless.  They  argued  for  various  plans,  swore, 
cursed  their  luck,  and  came  to  blows  in  some 
instances.  Finally  they  separated  when  they 
found  they  could  not  agree,  and  went  off  in 
groups  by  themselves.  They  came  from  a  dozen 
different  localities,  and  all  they  could  do  was  to 
start  for  their  homes,  some  by  the  road ;  but 
about  half  of  them  followed  the  creek  down  the 
stream,  hoping  that  they  should  recover  their 
horses,  and  thus  save  a  walk  of  thirty  to  sixty 
miles.  It  is .  not  known  whether  any  of  them 
found  their  steeds  or  not.     The    last   scene  was 


DECK   RESORTS   TO   A    "  YANKEE   TRICK "      429 

when  the  chief  discovered  that  he  had  been 
robbed  of  all  his  money,  -which  he  carried  in 
a  belt  around  his  body.  The  gang  had  taken 
a  great  deal  of  grain,  pork,  hams,  and  bacon  in 
their  raid ;  and  Gossley  had  sold  them  to  go 
south.  He  kept  the  money,  and  it  was  to  be 
divided  when  they  reached  their  headquarters. 
It  was  doubtless  stolen  while  he  slept  by  some 
of  his  own  men. 

The  Riverlawn  battalion  continued  their  march, 
and  arrived  at  Scottville  in  the  forenoon.  Here 
Deck  was  informed  that  a  company  of  Union 
soldiers  had  camped  there  over  night,  and  had 
marched  towards  Franklin  early  in  the  morning. 
The  major  wondered  what  force  this  could  be, 
and  he  asked  some  questions  about  the  company. 
Then  he  learned  that  the  company  were  uni- 
formed like  his  own  men,  and  that  with  them 
was  an  officer  of  over  forty  years  of  age,  who 
wore  the  shoulder-straps  of  a  colonel.  The  men 
in  the  force  were  armed  with  rifles  and  sabres. 

"That  must  be  Captain  Ripley's  company," 
said  Deck  to  Captain  Knox.  "  The  field-officer 
must  be  my  father." 


430  ,    AT   THE   FRONT 

"  How  could  the  riflemen  get  away  from  Mil- 
lersville  so  soon?"  asked  Life. 

"I  don't  know  anything  about  it,  of  course; 
but  we  will  move  on,  and  as  we  are  marching 
light,  we  can  overtake  the  company  in  a  couple 
of  hours,"  replied  the  major,  as  he  gave  the  or- 
der to  move  on. 

The  horses  were  in  good  condition ;  and  Deck 
hurried  the  march,  so  that  the  battalion  came  up 
with  the  company  when  they  had  halted  for  the 
noonday  meal.  The  men  were  sent  into  a  field, 
where  they  gave  the  horses  their  grain  from  a 
bag  each  one  carried  behind  his  saddle.  Deck 
gave  Ceph  to  his  orderly,  and  hastened  to  find 
his  father.  The  colonel  was  taking  his  lunch 
with  Captain  Ripley,  and  he  grasped  his  hand 
with  a  considerable  gush  of  emotion  for  him. 

"  Why,  Dexter,  how  came  you  here  ? "  asked 
his  father,  still  holding  the  hand  of  his  son ;  and 
it  was  evident  enough  to  all  that  he  was  rejoiced 
to  see  him. 

"  I  will  tell  you  all  about  it  in  a  few  minutes," 
replied  the  major.  "  I  want  to  know  about  your 
health  fii'st." 


DECK   RESORTS   TO   A    "YANKEE   TRICK  "      431 

"  I  am  about  as  well  as  ever,  I  think,  though 
not  quite  as  strong.  My  wound  in  the  head  is 
fully  healed,  though  the  spot  is  a  little  tender." 

"  I  am  very  glad  to  learn  that  you  are  in  such 
good  condition;  and  I  judge  that  we  shall  remain 
some  days  longer  at  Franklin,  so  that  you  will 
have  a  chance  to  build  yourself  up  a  little  more. 
This  march  must  have  been  rather  hard  for  you." 

"  No ;  we  have  not  hurried ;  I  have  an  excel- 
lent appetite,  and  I  can  stand  nearly  as  much  as  I 
ever  could,"  replied  the  colonel.  "  I  see  that 
you  have  a  whole  battalion  mth  you." 

"  Five  companies,  sir,  for  Captain  Knox's  com- 
mand was  added  to  my  battalion.  We  had  a 
fight  at  Greeger  Lake,  though  we  had  it  all  our 
own  way,  and  took  about  five  hundred  guerillas 
prisoners.  Colonel  Gordon  wanted  to  get  rid  of 
them  before  they  ate  up  all  our  rations,  and  I 
was  sent  to  set  them  down  in  Tennessee,  which  I 
did  about  five  miles  from  La  Fayette ;  and  now 
I  am  marching  back  to  Franklin,"  replied  Deck. 

All  the  commissioned  officers  in  the  battalion 
came  over  to  congratulate  the  colonel  upon  his 
recovery    and    return    to    his    command,    though 


432  AT   THE   FRONT 

Lieutenant^Colonel  Gordon  was  quite  as  popular 
.as  the  colonel.  When  they  had  all  gone  but 
Life,  Deck  gave  a  full  account  of  the  fight  and 
other  events  at  the   lake. 

"  I  reckon  Major  Lyon  played  off  a  Yankee 
trick  upon  the  guerillas  last  night  at  the  camp," 
said  Captain  Knox,  with  a  Kentucky  smile  which 
was  a  full-fledged  laugh. 

"How  was   that,  Dexter?"  asked  the  colonel. 

"  Colonel  Gordon,  when  he  and  Major  Born- 
wood  decided  to  get  rid  of  the  prisoners,  whose 
horses  were  not  taken  from  them,  for  they  had  to 
go  a  long  distance  to  reach  their  homes,  was  very 
much  afraid  they  would  return  and  continue  their 
raid,  especially  visiting  Greeger  Lake  again,  to  rob 
the  miller  there  of  his  money,  as  they  had  done 
before.  I  was  ordered  to  march  them  about 
twenty  miles  over  the  line  into  Tennessee,  and 
leave  them  there.  But  as  they  had  their  horses, 
they  could  return  and  do  all  Colonel  Gordon 
feared  they  would  do.  I  hit  upon  a  plan  to 
checkmate  them,  and  sent  Captain  Knox  to  carry 
it  out.  He  can  tell  you  better  than  I  can  how 
he  managed  it." 


DECK    RESORTS    TO    A    "YANKEE    TRICK  "       433 

Life  told  the    story  at  some  length. 

"  I  reckon  they  are  lookmg  for  their  animals 
just  now,"  he  concluded. 

The  march  was  resumed,  and  the  force  reached 
the  camp  of  the  regiment  before  sunset.  The 
men  cheered  lustily  when  they  saw  Colonel  Lyon, 
and  he  was  gladly  welcomed  and  congratulated 
on  his  recovery  by  all  the  officers.  Colonel  Gor- 
don, who  had  gone  to  Riverlawn  as  a  lieutenant 
to  muster  in  the  new  companies,  and  had  been  in 
the  command  ever  since,  was  especially  glad  to 
see-  his  old  commander,  and  none  gave  him  a 
heartier  greeting.  If  he  liked  the  command,  he 
was  happy  to  surrender  it  to  one  whom  he  re- 
spected so  highly. 

Major  Bornwood  had  been"  ordered  by  tele- 
graph to  join  his  general  at  Gallatin,  and  he 
had  left  the  day  before.  The  rest  of  the  after- 
noon and  evening  was  spent  in  recounting  to 
the  colonel  the  incidents  of  the  march  of  the 
regiment  from  Somerset,  including  the  affair  at 
Millersville,  of  which  he  had  heard  before,  as  also 
that  at  the  lake.  Colonel  Gordon  had  expected 
an  order  to  move    the    regiment   to   some    point 


434  AT    THE    FRONT 

where  it  could  be  actively  employed.  But  no 
order  came  during  the  next  two  days. 

On  the  7th  of  September,  a  message  came  by 
wire  from  the  general  himself,  ordering  Colonel 
Lj'on  to  move  his  command  to  Nashville  by  the 
way  of  Springfield,  and  report  to  General  Thomas, 
in  command  there. 

"  Why  by  Springfield  ?  "  asked  the  colonel, 
who  was  consulting  the  map  with  Colonel  Gordon. 

"  I  cannot  tell ;  but  I  can  guess  that  the  roads 
leading  more  directly  to  Nashville  are,  or  soon 
will  be,  occupied  by  troops  moving  north,"  re- 
plied the  lieutenant-colonel. 

They  did  not  know  it  then,  but  that  day 
General  Buell  moved  six  of  his  divisions  across 
the  Cumberland  River.  He  had  discovered  by 
this  time  that  Bragg,  whom  he  had  been  watch- 
ing for  some  time,  had  crossed  the  river  at  Car- 
thage, and  was  moving  rapidly  for  Louisville. 
He  had  left  General  Breckinridge  with  a  heavy 
force  of  artillery,  cavalry,  and  infantry  to  invest 
Nashville,  which  was  probably  the  reason  for 
sending  the  Riverlawns  there. 


BEFORE  THE  BATTLE  OF  STONE  RIVER    435 


CHAPTER   XXXIII 

BEFORE    THE    BATTLE    OF    STONE    RIVER       ' 

The  return  of  Captain  Ripley's  company  re- 
stored the  Riverlawn  regiment  to  its  full  strength 
of  twelve  companies;  and  its  experience  at  Co- 
lumbia, Buck  Creek,  and  Millersville  had  prac- 
tically made  the  officers  and  men  veterans. 
Captain  Halliburn  had  been  able  to  procure  a 
couple  of  brass  cannon  which  had  been  used  in 
a  neighboring  county  for  saluting  purposes,  with 
the  ammunition  for  putting  them  to  a  more  de- 
structive use,  and  had  planted  them  in  a  breast- 
work commanding  the  river,  though  they  could  be 
drawn  up  the  slope  and  placed  on  Grimsby  Hill, 
where  Major  Batterson's  battery  had  done  such 
efficient  service.  With  the  assistance  of  these 
guns  the  captain  of  the  Home  Guards  believed 
he  could  protect  the  village  from  guerilla  raids. 

Colonel  Lyon  gave  ordei"s  to  prepare  his  com- 
mand to  march  at  once  for  Nashville  :    and  two 


436  AT   THE   FflONT 

clays  later  the  regiment  and  battery  arrived  at 
their  destination,  and  reported  to  General  Thomas. 
For  the  next  two  months  the  force  was  employed 
in  various  duties,  in  repelling  the  attacks  of  the 
enemy,  and  in  several  expeditions  to  the  sur- 
rounding country.  Colonel  Lyon,  wdth  the  bat- 
tery and  a  portion  of  the  regiment,  had  been  over 
the  ground  before ;  and  his  careful  study  of  his 
maps  had  made  him  familiar  with  the  geography 
of  the  region,  and  he  rendered  valuable  service 
in  defeating  the  plans  of  the  Confederates. 

The  force  did  some  heavy  fighting,  and  lost  a 
considerable  number  of  its  officers  and  men ;  and 
Captains  Artie  Lyon  and  Richland  were  severely 
wounded,  the  former  being  in  the  hospital  for  a 
month.  But  space  does  not  permit  the  giving 
of  the  details  of  these  actions  and  expeditions. 
It  was  on  the  day  of  the  departure  of  the  regi- 
ment for  Nashville  that  General  Buell  moved  his 
six  divisions  across  the  Cumberland;  and  then  be- 
gan a  race  between  him  and  Bragg  to  Louisville. 
A  few  days  later  the  general,  fearing  for  the 
safety  of  Nashville,  sent  General  Mitchell's  divis- 
ion   back  to    that    city ;    but  the  order  was    sub- 


BEFORE  THE  BATTLE  OF  STONE  RIVER   437 

sequently  countermanded,  for  Buell  found  that 
Bragg  had  torn  up  the  track  on  the  Louisville 
and  Nashville  Railroad  from  Franklin  to  Bowl- 
ing Green,  and  that  the  head  of  Bragg \s  army, 
a  brigade  of  cavalry,  was  near  Munfordville,  on 
the  north  side  of  Green  River.  The  situation 
was  such  that  he  not  only  countermanded  his 
order  for  Mitchell  to  return  to  Nashville,  but 
ordered  Thomas,  with  his  own  and  Paine's  divis- 
ions, to  proceed  to  Bowling  Green  on  the  15th ; 
but  if  necessary  to  insure  the  safety  of  Nashville, 
to  leave  the  latter.  This  order  was  promptly 
obeyed ;  and  Thomas  joined  Buell  at  Prewitt's 
Knob,  on  the  branch  road  to  Glasgow,  near  its 
junction  with  the  railroad  to  Louisville. 

Munfordville  had  been  re-enforced  and  forti- 
fied by  the  Union  force,  and  under  Colonel 
Dunham  several  assaults  of  the  enemy  were  re- 
pulsed ;  but  on  the  ITth  Colonel  Wilder,  who 
succeeded  Colonel  Dunham  in  the  command, 
finding  the  place  surrounded  by  an  overwhelming 
force,  surrendered  to  the  enemy.  At  Prewitt's 
Knob,  when  Thomas  joined  Buell,  Bragg  was 
confronting    the    Union    forces,  and   seemed    dis- 


438  AT    THE   FRONT 

posed  to  fight.  There  was  some  skirmishing,  l)iit 
possibly  the  arrival  of  Thomas  prevented  the 
enemy  from  engaging  Buell's  arm}'.  While  the 
latter  were  preparing  for  a  battle,  it  was  discov- 
ered that  Bragg  was  retreating,  moving  to  the 
eastward  of  the  railroad  to  Louisville.  The  west- 
ern part  of  Kentucky  Avas  thus  left  open  to  the 
army  of  Buell ;  and  he  marched  rapidly  for  Louis- 
ville, which  the  last  of  his  force  reached  on  the 
29th  of  September.  Bragg  proceeded  to  Bards- 
town,  about  forty  miles  south  of  Louisville. 

General-  Buell  found  at  Louisville  the  remnant 
of  General  Nelson's  division,  which  had  been 
thoroughly  defeated  in  the  three  days'  battles 
near  Richmond,  and  a  large  number  of  new  troops 
which  had  been  hurried  to  the  defence  of  the  city. 
He  reorganized  these  recruits,  putting  the  new 
men  in  the  ranks  with  his  veterans,  and  then 
marched  to  Bardstown.  At  this  point  General 
Buell  was  relieved,  and  General  Thomas  was 
assigned  to  the  command  of  the  Army  of  the 
Ohio ;  but  at  the  request  of  the  latter  the  change 
was  not  made,  and  Thomas  became  the  second 
in  command. 


BEFORE  THE  BATTLE  OF  STONE  RIVER    439 

The  two  armies  confronted  each  other,  and, 
after  various  movements,  came  together  at  Chap- 
lin Hills,  near  Perryville,  and  the  battle  called 
by  both  names  followed,  with  very  great  loss  on 
both  sides.  The  result  was  the  retreat  of  the 
Confederates ;  and  in  the  language  of  Pollard 
in  "  The  Lost  Cause,"  "  To  evacuate  Kentucky 
had  become  an  imperative  necessity.  This  re- 
treat of  Bragg  was  certainly  a  sore  disappoint- 
ment to  the  hopes  which  his  first  movements  in 
Kentucky  had  occasioned  and  his  sensational  de- 
spatches had  unduly  excited." 

The  battle  had  been  fought,  the  enemy  had 
left  the  State,  and  the  campaign  was  transferred 
to  the  South.  General  Buell  was  concentrating 
his  army  at  Glasgow  and  Bowling  Green,  when 
the  mandate  came  from  Washington  relieving 
him  from  the  command  of  the  Army  of  the  Ohio, 
and  giving  General  Rosecrans  the  command  of 
the  Armj^  of  the  Cumberland,  as  it  was  soon  very 
generally  called.  The  Riverlawn  regiment  was 
kept  busy  in  the  vicinity  of  Nashville  until  the 
last  of  December.  They  were  employed  in  raids 
and  counter  raids.     It  liad  fought  with  Forrest. 


440  AT   THE   FRONT 

With  General  Negley's  force,  they  assisted  in 
driving  the  noted  raider  seven  miles  from  Nash- 
ville,  but  failed  in  an  attempt  to  cut  him  off. 

Murfreesboro,  in  the  vicinity  of  which  was 
fought  the  battle  of  Stone  River,  though  it  is  also 
called  after  the  name  of  the  town,  is  on  the  Nash- 
ville and  Chattanooga  Railroad,  thirty  miles  south- 
east of  the  capital  of  Tennessee.  General  Bragg 
was  with  his  army  at  this  place  in  the  last  days 
of  December;  and  General  Rosecrans  decided  to 
attack  him  there,  possibly  fearing  that  he  would 
venture  a  movement  against  Nashville.  The  new 
commander  of  the  Arm}-  of  the  Cumberland  di- 
vided his  forces  into  three  bodies,  of  which  Gen- 
eral Thomas  was  assigned  to  the  command  of 
the  centre,  with  five  divisions ;  General  McCook 
to  the  right  wing,  and  General  Crittenden  to  the 
left.  The  Riverlawn  regiment  was  placed  in 
the  cavalry  of  the  centre.  On  the  evening  of  the 
25th  of  December,  General  Rosecrans  issued  his 
orders  for  his  army  to  move  for  Murfreesboro 
the  next  morning. 

General  Thomas  was  to  march  by  the  Franklin 
turnpike,  and  then   cross  the  country  to  Nolens- 


BEFORE    THE    BATTLE    OF    STONE    RIVER        441 

ville,  between  the  two  railroads  leading  to  the 
south.  The  right  and  left  wings  moved  in  other 
directions,  but  the  plan  was  too  complicated  to 
be  repeated.  In  moving  across  the  country  from 
Lavergne,  a  cavalry  force  was  discovered  ahead 
of  the  command,  consisting  of  two  divisions  and  a 
brigade  ;  and  the  Riverlawns,  without  the  battery, 
were  sent  to  clear  the  road.  It  appeared  to  be  a 
regiment.  Colonel  Lyon  gave  the  order  for  his 
command  to  proceed  at  full  gallop.  The  senior 
major  was  in  the  advance  with  his  battalion,  and 
he  was  sent  forward  to  engage  the  enemy.  It  was 
a  rough  region ;  and  the  rain  was  pouring  in  tor- 
rents, which  obstructed  the  vision  of  the  officers. 
The  command  had  started  in  the  morning-  in  a 
dense  fog,  and  the  rain  had  not  yet  beaten  it  down. 

As  Deck  turned  his  steed  in  the  road,  in  a 
small  piece  of  woods,  he  could  no  longer  see  the 
foe,  which  had  been  some  distance  from  him. 

"What  has  become  of  them.  Captain  Abbey?" 
he  asked,  somewhat  bewildered  by  the  sudden 
disappearance  of  the  force  he  was  pursuing. 

"There  is  some  trick  about  it,  I  should  say," 
replied  the  captain. 


442  AT   THE   FRONT 

"  What  trick  can  they  play  upon  us  here  ?  " 
inquired  the  major,  reining  in  liis  horse. 

"  The  colonel  of  that  regiment  did  not  tell  me, 
and  I  don't  know!"  rej)lied  the  officer. 

But  Major  I^yon  thought  he  had  obtained  an 
idea.  About  a  quarter  of  a  mile  ahead  of  him 
was  a  knob,  as  they  call  it  in  that  section  as  well 
as  in  Kentucky,  which  apj^eared  to  be  a  pile  of 
rocks  of  all  shapes,  as  well  as  the  major  could 
make  it  out  in  the  fog  and  rain.  A  portion  of  it 
had  been  removed  to  permit  the  passage  of  the 
road,  or  perhajjs  to  obtain  the  stone  for  culverts 
or  other  purposes.  Deck  was  satisfied  that  the 
regiment,  battalion,  or  whatever  it  was,  had  gone 
behind  this  knob,  which  was  large  enough  to  be 
called  a  hill,  with  the  intention  of  falling  upon 
the  regiment  as  it  came  along  the  road.  The 
force  could  not  have  passed  out  of  sight  in  the 
road,  for  it  extended  far  enough  in  view  not  to 
admit  of  its  disappearance  by  a  hurried  move- 
ment. 

"  The  enemy  are  behind  that  hill,  and  will  fall 
upon  you  as  you  reach  the  farther  side  of  it.  Cap- 
tain Abbey,"  said  the  major,  as  he  discovered  the 


BEFORE  THE  BATTLE  OF  STONE  RIVER    443 

colonel  hastening  forward;  and  he  explained  the 
situation  to  him.  "  If  you  will  order  Major 
Belthorpe  to  take  to  the  field,  and  attack  the 
enemy  in  the  rear,  I  will  engage  the  portion  near 
the  road." 

Deck  was  somewhat  given  to  strategy,  and  his 
father  had  confidence  in  him  ;  and  as  he  saw 
that  the  plan  was  fitted  to  the  occasion,  he  im- 
mediately ordered  the  second  battalion  to  move 
as  Deck  had  suggested. 

"  Move  with  all  the  speed  you  can  make, 
Tom,"  said  Deck  to  the  second  major  as  he 
came  up. 

"  It  is  a  rough  piece  of  country,  but  I  will 
do  the  best  I  can,"  replied  Major  Belthorpe,  as 
he  led  his  command  into  the  field,  which  had 
no  fence  to  obstruct  him. 

Deck  ran  his  horse  to  the  head  of  the  column, 
and  gave  the  order  to  walk,  in  order  to  give 
the  second  battalion  time  to  reach  the  rear  of 
the  hill.  When  he  came  to  the  side  of  the  ele- 
vation, he  was  satisfied  that  jNIajor  Belthorpe  had 
nearly  reached  his  destination,  and  a  minute  or 
two  later  he    heard  the  clash    of   sabres    in  that 


444  AT   THE   FRONT 

direction.  It  was  evident  enough  to  Deck  tlien 
that  tlie  trick  Captain  Abbey  suggested  had  de- 
veloped itself,  and  that  the  commander  of  the 
Confederate  force  had  posted  a  portion  of  his 
regiment  behind  the  hill  which  A^'as  to  take  the 
Union  column  in  the  flank  or  rear;  in  other 
words,  he  had  "stolen  Deck's  thunder." 

The  moment  the  major  heard  the  clash  of 
arms,  he  ordered  the  n\en  to  move  at  a  gallop ; 
and  they  soon  came  to  the  other  side  of  the 
knob.  As  anticipated,  about  five  companies  ap- 
peared to  be  the  force  of  the  portion  ranged  in 
the  order  of  battle  at  the  side  of  the  road  where 
they  could  not  be  seen  till  they  had  the  regi- 
ment in  blue  in  front  of  them.  Deck  led  the 
first  company  till  it  was  abreast  of  the  eneni} 's 
line,  and  then  gave  the  order  to  charge,  keeping 
on  the  flank  and  rear  of  his  line.  It  was  a  fu- 
rious attack,  such  as  the  original  companies  of 
the  Riverlawns  had  been  trained  to  make,  and 
the  others  had  learned  from  them. 

Deck  urged  his  men  on,  though  they  hardly 
needed  any  stimulus  of  this  kind ;  and  the  con- 
duct   of  the    companies    fully  met    his    approval. 


BEFORE  THE  BATTLE  OF  STONE  RIVER    445 

The  officer  in  command  of  the  enemy  remained 
behind  his  men,  where  he  ought  to  be,  and  Major 
Lyon  did  the  same  ;  but  if  the  former  had  shown 
himself  in  the  conflict,  he'woukl  certainly  have 
been  in  front  of  him. 

Colonel  Lyon  did  not  remain  far  in  the  rear; 
for  as  soon  as  the  fight  was  fairly  under  way, 
he  sent  two  companies  from  the  third  battalion 
to  the  rear,  with  Colonel  Gordon,  and  two  more, 
under  jNIajor  Truman,  to  the  front  of  it.  The 
latter,  seeing  the  way  open  for  him,  led  his  two 
companies  to  the  rear  of  the  enemy  at  the  road. 
The  effect  of  this  re-enforcement  was  soon  appar- 
ent; for  the  enemy  at  the  road,  charged  upon  in 
both  front  and  rear,  very  soon  began  to  give  way, 
and,  in  spite  of  the  efforts  of  their  officers,  fled 
from  the  field,  hurrying  towards  a  wood  or  grove, 
half  a  mile  from  the  scene  of  the  engagement. 

Behind  the  knob  the  result  was  not  very  differ- 
ent. The  re-enforcement  that  went  in  that  di- 
rection consisted  of  the  companies  of  Captain 
Ripley  and  that  of  Lrfe  Knox.  The  former  had 
no  especial  gifts  in  a  charge  with  the  sabre,  but 
they  were  terrible  as  sharpshooters.     They  were 


446  AT   THE   FRONT 

sent  into  the  woods  which  surrounded  the  knob; 
and  as  soon  as  they  were  in  position,  the  enemy  be- 
gan to  drop  from  their  saddles  without  being  able 
to  tell  what  had  caused  their  sudden  downfall. 

Life  Knox's  company,  as  soon  as  they  had 
been  trained  to  their  office,  were  even  more  ter- 
rible than  the  riflemen.  More  than  half  of  the 
members  were  giants  in  stature,  and  the  dimin- 
utive cavalrymen  of  the  enemy  were  no  match 
at  all  for  them.  Observing  the  conduct  of  the 
force  by  tlie  road,  they  followed  their  example, 
and  fled  for  the  woods.  The  result  was  deci- 
sive ;  and  the  regiment  of  the  enemy  was  entirely 
vanquished,  and  nothing  more  was  seen  of  it  till 
the  division  reacbed  Nolens ville. 

As  the  force  of  General  Thomas  approached 
the  knob,  Major  Belthorpe  joined  the  first  battal- 
ion, and  marched  out  upon  the  road,  the  two 
companies  from  the  rear  soon  joining  them.  The 
commander,  who  had  ridden  forward  with  his  staff 
to  ascertain  the  cause  of  the  blocking  of  the  road, 
came  into  the  presence  of  the  regiment,  the  sol- 
diers of  which  regarded  him  as  a  sort  of  demigod, 
and  cheered  him  as  soon  as  he  appeared. 


BEFORE  THE  BATTLE  OF  STONE  EIVER    447 

"  What's  the  trouble  here,  Colonel  Lyon  ? " 
asked  the  general,  as  he  came  up  with  the  cav- 
alry. 

"Nothing  especial,  General.  A  regiment  of 
Confederate  cavalry  were  on  this  road  for  the 
evident  purpose  of  delaying  the  passage  of  your 
division ;  but  INIajor  Lyon  fathomed  their  pur- 
pose and  their  plan,  and  we  have  utterly  routed 
them." 

"  Who  is  Major  Lyon,  Colonel  ?  "  inquired  the 
commander  of  the  division. 

"He  is  my  son.  General." 

"  Ah,  yes ;  I  remember.  He  came  to  my  head- 
quarters at  Somerset,  and  distinguished  himself 
in  several  affairs  on  the  Cumberland  River.  He 
is  a  young  man  with  genius." 

"  He  is  a  major  now,  the  senior  major  of  the 
Riverlawn  regiment ;  and  I  beg  you  will  not  give 
him  any  further  promotion  at  present,  for  I  assure 
you  he  desires  no  advancement,"  said  the  colonel. 

"  He  deserves  it,  at  any  rate,"  added  the  gen- 
eral, as  he  followed  the  regiment,  in  column  by 
this  time. 


448  AT   THE   FRONT 


CHAPTER   XXXIV 

THE  OPENING  OF  THE  GREAT  BATTLE 

General  Davis  had  the  advance  of  the  right 
wing,  and  he  went  by  a  crossroad  over  to  Nolens- 
ville.  As  a  cavalry  escort  he  had  an  Illinois 
company,  in  command  of  Captain  Sheerer,  who 
unearthed  the  enemy's  pickets  in  the  rough  and 
broken  country  through  which  he  passed  on  his 
way;  and  the  fact  indicated  that  General  Bragg 
may  not  have  expected  an  advance  on  the  part 
of  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  though  he  had 
been  careful  to  obtain  immediate  information  of 
any  movement  on  the  part  of  the  Union  force  on 
his  front. 

The  resistance  to  General  Davis's  command  on 
the  crossroad  was  not  heavy,  though  the  march 
was  difficult  over  the  poor  road  and  in  the  pour- 
ing rain ;  but  on  his  approach  to  Nolensville  he 
found  it  necessary  to  dislodge  the  forces  of  the 
enemy    there,    for   the    Confederate    cavalry   was 


THE    OPENING    OP   THE   GREAT   BATTLE      449 

formed  for  an  assault,  and.  a  battery  was  brought 
to  bear  upon  him.  Davis  formed  his  division  for 
the  engagement  to  dislodge  the  enemy.  The 
march  of  the  centre  had  been  arranged  so  that 
General  Thomas  could  support  either  wing  if 
pressed  too  hard  for  its  strength  on  one  side  or 
the  other. 

The  Riverlawn  Cavalry,  with  its  battery,  which 
it  was  still  allowed  to  retain,  though  it  might 
be  sent  to  any  part  of  the  field  where  it  was 
needed,  was  regarded  as  a  very  effective  body; 
and  as  it  had  generally  been  at  Corinth,  Pitts- 
burg Landing,  and  other  fields,  was  sent  out 
ahead  of  Thomas's  wing  to  feel  the  way.  It 
had  eiTectually  disposed  of  the  Confederate  regi- 
ment of  cavalry  which  impeded  the  march  on  the 
crossroad ;  though  as  jMajor  Lyon's  advanced  to 
the  town,  he  caught  a  glimpse  of  it  through  a 
gap  near  the  road,  hurrying  in  the  same  general 
direction  as  the  command  to  which  he  belonged. 

The  roar  of  artillery  was  heard  in  the  direction 
of  the  town ;  for  a  battery  had  opened  upon  Gen- 
eral Davis's  division,  though  it  was  soon  silenced 
by  Pinney's  guns. 


450  AT    THE    FRONT 

The  general  in  the  advance  of  the  right  wing, 
as  soon  as  he  had  cleared  the  way  for  his  marcli, 
learned  that  he  would  meet  with  a  heavier  oppo- 
sition at  Knob's  Gap,  an  opening  in  a  range  of 
rocky  liills  on  the  Nolensville  and  Triune  turn- 
pike, extending  about  ten  miles  in  a  southeasterly 
direction,  or  towards  the  locality  of  the  battle  of 
Stone  River.  General  Thomas  heard  the  guns  at 
Nolensville.  Colonel  Lyon  was  already  following 
the  sound,' and  the  general  hurried  Negley's  divis- 
ion forward  to  the  support  of  Davis.  The  range 
of  rocky  hills  at  Knob's  Gap  was  exceedingly 
favorable  for  defence ;  and  artillery  was  placed 
there  among  the  steeps,  which  opened  upon  Davis 
at  long  range  as  soon  as  the  head  of  his  column 
appeared. 

The  Riverlawn  Cavalry  came  up  at  this  point, 
and  the  colonel  looked  the  ground  over  thoroughly. 
He  saw  what  looked  like  a  practicable  passage 
to  the  rear  of  the  hills ;  and  he  ordered  Major 
Lyon,  with  the  first  battalion,  to  take  this  open- 
ing. He  was  directed  to  get  on  the  flank  or  rear 
of  the  enemy;  and  the  seventh  company,  the  rifle- 
men, was  sent  with  him,  to  be  placed  where  they 


THE   OPENING    OF    THE    GREAT    BATTLE      451 

could  operate  in  their  line  upon  the  artillerymen 
on  the  hill.  By  this  time  the  batteries  on  both 
sides  were  actively  employed ;  but  Deck's  com- 
mand was  protected  by  a  spur  from  the  main 
range,  and  he  soon  found  an  eligible  locality  for 
the  sharpshooters.  They  picketed  their  horses  at 
the  foot  of  the  slope,  and  then  ascended  on  foot. 
Post's  brigade  charged  upon  the  batteries  on  the 
left  just  as  the  riflemen  began  to  drop  the  can- 
noneers at  their  pieces.  Captain  Ripley  was  confi- 
dent that  his  command  had  killed  or  disabled  over 
fifty  men ;  and  he  might  have  done  all  this  with 
a  single  round  of  his  rifles,  even  if  one-half  of 
his  men  had  missed  their  aim,  which  they  were 
very  unlikely  to  do,  for  he  had  over  a  hundred 
privates  in  his  companj^ 

Deck  moved  on  with  the  first  battalion  as  soon 
as  he  had  placed  the  riflemen.  Both  wood  and 
stone  had  evidently  been  taken  from  these  hills, 
for  the  major  soon  found  a  rude  road  which  had 
been  traversed  by  wagons.  He  followed  it  with 
all  the  speed  the  roughness  of  the  locality  would 
permit.  The  batteries  must  have  moved  their 
guns   up  to  their  present  positions  by  this   road. 


452  AT   THE   FRONT 

He  soon  came  to  one  of  them  hurriedly  firing  their 
pieces  at  the  force  in  the  road.  But  Post's  bri- 
gade had  already  routed  the  other  batteries  nearer 
the  road  ;  and  the  gunners  were  fleeing  to  the  rear, 
doubtless  with  the  intention  of  making  their  escape 
by  the  road  down  the  hill  from  the  bayonets  of 
the  Union  assailants. 

Major  Lyon  charged  upon  the  battery  near  him 
as  the  broken  companies  approached ;  and  it  was 
dorre  by  the  old  companies  of  the  Riverlawn  squad- 
ron so  fiercely  that  he  almost  instantly  drove  the 
men  from  their  guns.  The  escaping  force  from 
the  front  deflected  to  the  right,  doubtless  greatly 
surprised  to  find  a  Union  force  in  the  rear.  But 
Deck  had  silenced  the  battery  near  him ;  and  he 
ordered  his  men  to  fall  back  in  the  road,  with 
the  intention  of  blocking  it  against  the  fugitives. 
Then  he  opened  fire  upon  them  with  the  carbines, 
and  the  revolvers  Avhen  near  enough  for  the  use 
of  the  latter. 

The  battalion  had  moved  back  but  a  short  dis- 
tance before  they  came  upon  the  rest  of  the  regi- 
ment ;  and  Deck  saw  his  father  just  as  he  came 
to  an  open  space  at  the  side  of  the  road.     Taking 


THK    OPENING    OF    THE    GREAT    BATTLE      453 

advantage  of  this  favorable  position,  Colonel  Lyon 
had  sent  Major  Belthorpe's  battalion  to  the  verge 
of  the  opening,  which  was  a  perpendicular  mass 
of  rocks,  and  blocked  the  way  of  the  retreating 
companies.  He  charged  upon  the  two  companies 
when  they  drew  their  sabres  and  showed  fight.  It 
was  an  impetuous  onslaught  of  a  superior  number, 
and  the  enemy  gave  way  before  them.  Deck  saw 
the  movement  ordered  by  the  colonel,  and  closed 
his  four  companies  around  the  fugitives,  and  they 
were  entrapped.  They  surrendered  when  they 
could  do  nothing  more,  for  they  were  confronted 
by  overwhelming  numbers. 

"  The  guns  are  silent  in  the  front  of  the  hills 
and  on  the  right  of  the  road,  and  I  think  the 
business  of  the  day  is  finished,"  said  Colonel 
Lyon  when  he  met  his  son  in  the  wagon-road. 

"And  I  think  we  had  better  get  out  of  this 
place  as  soon  as  possible,"  replied  the  major. 
"  General  Davis  will  suppose  we  have  been  an- 
nihilated if  we  do  not." 

"  But  what  are  we  to  do  with  a  hundred  and 
fifty  prisoners,  more  or  less,"  suggested  the  colo- 
nel. 


454  AT    THE   FRONT 

"  March  them  down  with  us,  for  we  don't  care 
to  fight  tliem  again  in  this  campaign,"  replied 
Deck. 

The  colonel  gave  the  order  to  the  two  majors 
to  have  them  formed  in  companies ;  and  they  were 
placed  between  the  two  battalions,  and  marched 
down  to  the  road.  Major  Belthorpe  picked  up 
his  seventh  company  on  the  way.  But  the  pris- 
oners were  on  foot,  and  the  march  could  not  be 
hurried  beyond  a  double-quick.  The  distance  was 
not  great;  and  when  they  were  seen  with  their 
captives  in  the  column.  Post's  brigade,  which  had 
just  descended  from  the  heights,  honored  them 
with  a  cheer,  to  which  the  officers  replied  by 
saluting. 

A  small  number  of  prisoners  had  been  taken, 
and  were  in  camp  with  a  guard  in  the  town ; 
and  tJie  two  companies  captured  by  the  River- 
lawns  were  sent  to  join  them,  for  it  was  easier 
to  keep  them  in  camp  than  it  would  be  to  fight 
them  again.  The  troops  bivouacked  in  the  avail- 
able fields,  the  Riverlawns  among  them.  They 
were  tired  enough  to  sleep,  and  they  did  not 
spend  much  time  in  talking   over  the   events   of 


THE  OPENING  OF  THE  GREAT  BATTLE   455 

the  day  after  their  horses  had  been  fed  and  they 
had  eaten  their  own  suppers.  But  Deck  could 
not  help  asking  his  father  what  they  were  to  do 
the  next  day. 

"I  don't  know  any  better  than  you  do,  Dex- 
ter," replied  the  colonel.  "  We  form  a  sort  of 
extra  reserve  force,  and  we  shall  not  know  what 
we  are  to  do  till  we  are  ordered  to  do  it.  That 
is  what  General  Thomas  told  me,  adding  that 
the  command  had  excellent  Kentuckj-  horses,  and 
always  moved  with  great  celerity;  and  as  the 
battery  could  keep  up  with  the  riders,  he  had 
prevented  it  from  being  detached  from  the  regi- 
ment, though  it  was  a  little  irregular  for  a  cav- 
alry regiment  to  have  such  an  appendage.  But 
he  added  that  Major  Batterson's  must  be  sent 
where  it  was  most  needed." 

"  I  suppose  you  understand,  father,  that  we  are 
on  the  eve  of  a  great  battle,"  added  Deck. 

"  I  suppose  we  are ;  though  I  am  not  sure  that 
General  Bragg,  whose  army  is  in  and  around 
Murfreesboro,  expected  a  great  battle  in  this  lo- 
cality; for  I  learned  yesterday  that  he  had  sent 
General  Morgan  into  Kentucky  to  break  up  the 


456  AT    THE    FRONT 

communications  of  General  Rosecrans,  and  Gen- 
eral Wheeler  into  West  Tennessee.  Both  of 
these  generals  were  in  command  mainly  of  cav- 
alry, forming  much  the  larger  portion  of  Bragg's 
force  of  tliis  arm.  Probably  General  Rosecrans, 
aware  of  this  fact,  chose  the  present  time  for  an 
advance." 

"  I  was  talking  with  the  captain  of  one  of  the 
batteries  we  captured  this  afternoon,  and  he  was 
rather  more  communicative  than  he  ought  to  have 
been,"  continued  Deck,  who  did  not  often  have 
an  opjDortunity  to  talk  with  his  father. 

"  What  did  he  tell  you  ? "  asked  the  colonel 
with  interest. 

" Probably  nothing  the  generals  don't  all  know; 
but  the  first  thing  he  said  was  that  Rosecrans's 
army  was  about  to  get  the  biggest  licking  the 
Yankees  ever  received,  and  that  he  should  not 
be  a  prisoner  for  many  days,  for  the  ground  would 
all  be  wanted  for  the  Yankees  captured  in  the 
great  battle.  I  replied  that  it  was  more  likely 
to  be  needed  for  the  accommodation  of  Confeder- 
ate prisoners." 

"That  was   nothing  but  blackguarding  on  the 


THE    OPENING    OF    THE    GREAT    BATTLE      457 

part  of  both  of  you ;  and  I  advise  you  not  to  in- 
dulge in  much  of  that  sort  of  thing,"  replied  the 
colonel  with  a  smile.  "  Did  that  captain  tell  you 
anything  that  is  worth  knowing  ?  " 

"  He  told  me  some  things  that  I  did  not  know, 
which  doubtless  the  generals  do  know." 

"  What,  for  example  ?  " 

"  That  Bragg's  army  is  in  order  of  battle  on 
the  west  of  Murfreesboro,  with  Stone  River  in  its 
rear,  and  field-works  in  front  of  them  as  far  as 
a  creek  near  the  Franklin  road.  I  have  studied 
my  map  enough  to  understand  sometliing  about 
it ;  for  we  have  been  in  the  town,  and  I  have 
walked  about  to  some  extent  in  the  vicinity." 

"  I  don't  think  your  information  is  of  any  great 
value,  my  son ;  and  that  captain  will  not  be  shot 
for  giving  you  what  knowledge  you  obtained 
from  him.  But  it  is  time  for  us  to  get  our  sleep. 
Dexter ;  for  we  don't  know  what  will  happen  to- 
morrow, though  I  shall  pray  that  it  may  not  be 
a  calamity  to  the  national  army." 

"I  shall  do  the  same,  father." 

On  the  morning  of  Dec.  27  the  weather  was 
anything  but  propitious  for  the  advance   of   the 


458  AT    THE    FRONT 

army.  A  dense  fog  prevailed,  so  that  it  was 
difficult  for  an  officer  to  see  any  considerable 
distance  in  front  of  him.  The  right  wing  under 
General  McCook  was  to  come  upon  the  ground 
by  Nolensville  and  Triune,  the  latter  a  post  vil- 
lage within  a  dozen  miles  of  Murfreesboro ;  and 
the  fog  had  prevented  him  from  reaching  this 
place  as  early  as  was  expected.  A  forward  move- 
ment was  attempted  in  the  morning.  General 
Johnson  led  the  attack  near  the  Franklin  road, 
where  General  Hardee's  corps  had  been  in  line 
of  battle  all  night  and  all  the  morning.  General 
McCook  did  not  deem  it  wise  or  prudent  to  force 
an  engagement  on  unknown  ground,  and  in  a  fog 
so  dense  that  it  was  almost  impossible  to  dis- 
tinguish friend  from  foe.  Artillery  practice  was 
kept  up  along  the  line  all  the  forenoon,  as  well 
as  lively  skirmishing. 

Early  in  the  afternoon  the  fog  lifted ;  and 
Johnson,  supported  by  General  Phil  Sheridan, 
again  advanced.  Hardee  had  burned  the  bridge 
over  Wilson's  Creek;  and,  having  placed  a  battery 
and  a  platoon  of  cavalry  to  defend  the  crossing, 
he    moved   back    his    main   force.      The    line    of 


THE  OPENING  OF  THE  GREAT  BATTLE   459 

Union  skirmishers  attacked  his  rear-guard,  which 
fled  after  a  very  feeble  resistance.  After  this 
opening  of  the  great  battle,  which  lasted  four 
days,  Johnson,  with  the  other  divisions  in  his 
rear,  moved  a  mile  to  the  south,  and  there  biv- 
ouacked for  the  night. 

All  had  not  gone  as  desired,  for  the  delay  of 
McCook  in  the  early  morning  had  prevented  Crit- 
tenden, in  command  of  the  left  wing,  from  ad- 
vancing as  early  as  arranged ;  but  at  a  late  hour 
in  the  forenoon  he  had  moved  three  of  his  divis- 
ions, though  no  decided  direct  advantage  was 
gained.  But  operations  in  this  portion  of  the 
field  extended  as  far  to  the  north  as  Lavergne, 
ten  miles  distant.  The  enemy  was  driven  from 
this  village  and  the  neighboring  hills,  and  in 
retreating  to  the  south  set  fire  to  the  bridge  over 
Stewart's  Creek ;  but  it  was  saved  by  a  Kentucky 
regiment  of  infantry.  There  were  other  opera- 
tions in  this  vicinity,  and  those  engaged  in  them 
passed  the  night  at  Stewartsboro. 

General  Thomas  moved  several  of  his  divisions 
during  the  day ;  though  the  rain  of  the  day  before 
had  left  the   roads   in  such  a  bad  condition   that 


460  AT   THE   FRONT 

the  marching  was  slow  and  difficult,  and  on  the 
crossroads  it  was  exceedingly  laborious  and  wear- 
ing to  the  soldiers. 

The  28th  of  December  was  Sunday ;  and  though 
armies  do  not  delay  in  honor  or  reverence  of  the 
day,  no  general  advance  was  made.  But  a  recon- 
noissance  was  made  by  one  of  the  brigades  of  the 
right  wing  to  ascertain  the  direction  of  General 
Hardee's  corps  on  its  retreat;  and  it  was  ascer- 
tained that  he  had  retired  to  Murfreesboro. 

On  the  29th  General  Stanley  moved  in  advance 
of  the  right  wing.  The  Anderson  cavalry  from 
Pennsylvania  pushed  the  enemy  six  miles,  char- 
ging warmly  all  the  way,  though  it  was  so  un- 
fortunate as  to  fall  upon  an  ambuscade  of  two 
regiments  of  the  enemy's  infantry,  with  consider- 
able loss  in  killed  and  wounded. 

The  Riverlawn  regiment  was  ordered  to  Wil- 
kinson's crossroad,  with  a  portion  of  the  enemy's 
cavalry  near  them ;  and  this  proximity  resulted 
in  a  fight,  in  which  the  Kentuckians  held  their 
own  as  usual,  without  much  loss. 


WAIIM    PRAISE    Foil   THE   RIFLEMEN  461 


CHAPTER  XXXV 

WARM    PRAISE    FOR    THE    RIFLEMEIsr 

Althottgh  General  Bragg  had  sent  away  the 
greater  part  of  his  cavalry,  a  considerable  portion 
of  it  remained,  posted  on  the  left  of  the  line  be- 
yond the  field-works  ;  and  what  was  left  of  Wheel- 
er's command  was  behind  Breckinridge's  works  on 
the  extreme  right,  and  on  the  east  side  of  Stone 
River.  On  the  29th  of  December  the  divisions 
of  Johnson  and  Sheridan  were  at  Wilkinson's 
crossroads,  and  near  this  point  the  enemy's 
cavalry  appeared  in  strong  force.  The  River- 
lawns  had  been  sent  to  this  position,  in  company 
with  an  Ohio  regiment  of  cavalry  whose  com- 
mander was  ranked  by  Colonel  Lyon.  The  colo- 
nels conferred  together  when  the  Confederate  force 
appeared  in  the  distance ;  bnt  when  they  discov- 
ered the  position  of  Johnson's  division,  they 
halted,   and  took  a  survey  of  the  ground. 

"  That  force  is  not  likely  to  come  much  farther 


462  AT   THE   FRONT 

in  this  direction,  Colonel  Lyon,"  said  the  com- 
mander of  the  Ohio  regiment.  "It  is  for  you  to 
say  what  we  shall  do." 

"  Colonel  Milliken,  you  will  go  forward  on  this 
road,  and  I  will  take  to  the  fields,"  replied  Colonel 
Lyon.  "  There  is  a  small  piece  of  woods ;  and  I 
will  get  behind  it,  and  strike  them  on  the  flank 
or  rear,  while  you  push  the  enemy  in  front.  I 
Avill  send  my  seventh  company  with  you  ;  for  they 
are  riflemen,  and  can  do  a  great  deal  of  execution 
as  sharpshooters." 

"  I  see  that  the  brigade  of  cavalry,  or  whatever 
it  is,  has  resumed  the  march  in  this  direction," 
remarked  Colonel  Milliken. 

"So  I  perceive,"  replied  the  commander  of  the 
Riverlawns.  "  I  was  afraid  that  the  force,  when 
they  saw  the  divisions  near  the  cross-roads,  would 
strike  across  the  fields  to  the  ford  over  Overall 
Creek,  near  the  church,  rather  than  come  any 
nearer  to  them.  If  they  have  noticed  us  at  all, 
they  do  not  seem  to  bestow  much  attention  upon 
our  regiments.  We  must  convince  them  of  their 
mistake." 

The  riflemen  were  called  out  from  the  column. 


WARM   PilAISE   FOR   THE   RIFLEMEN         463 

and  transferred  for  the  time  to  Colonel  Milliken's 
command,  with  an  explanation  to  Captain  Ripley. 
They  were  jDlaced  at  the  head  of  the  Ohio  colnmn ; 
and  it  moved  off  at  a  smart  gallop,  after  they 
had  started  at  a  trot,  as  usual  in  cavalry  tactics. 
Colonel  Lyon  led  his  command  into  the  field  on 
the  right  of  the  road,  and  went  at  a  furious  gallop 
for  the  grove  to  which  he  had  alluded,  not  more 
than  an  eighth  of  a  mile  from  the  road.  He 
proceeded  to  the  farther  side  of  it,  and  there 
halted. 

In  the  meantime.  Colonel  Milliken  hastened 
forward  in  the  road ;  but  before  he  came  up  with 
the  enemy,  he  sent  Captain  Ripley's  company 
into  the  field  on  his  left,  directing  its  commander 
to  take  such  position  as  he  considered  most  de- 
sirable, and  open  upon  the  troopers  at  once.  The 
riflemen  were  provided  with  good  horses ;  and 
when  the  heads  of  the  two  columns  clashed  to- 
gether, he  was  in  position  to  put  in  his  deadly 
work.  The  sharpshooters  could  not  dismount; 
but  they  had  become  so  accustomed  to  firing 
from  their  saddles,  that  their  bullets  were  hardly 
less  effectual  than  when  they  had  a  rest  at  the 


464  AT  THE   FRONT 

side  of  a  tree.  They  galloped  a  short  distance 
beyond  the  head  of  the  enemy's  column,  where 
the  mutual  charge  had  already  entangled  both 
bodies.  Ripley  had  sent  his  men  ahead  of  him, 
so  that  he  remained  at  the  left  of  his  command, 
with  a  sharp  eye  fixed  on  the  officers  of  the  Con- 
federate regiments.  He  was  looking  for  a  mark 
that  was  worthy  of  his  remarkable  skill  with  his 
rifle ;  and  presently  he  found  it  near  the  head 
of  the  column.  Raising  it,  and  with  hardly  an 
instant's  hesitation,  he  fired ;  and  the  commander 
of  the  force  dropped  from  his  saddle,  and  was 
carried  out  of  the  road  by  his  men. 

Lieutenant  Butters,  who  was  accounted  the 
second-best  rifle-shot  in  Russell  and  Pulaski 
Counties,  was  equally  diligent  in  seeking  the 
officers  of  the  leading  regiment,  and  one  of  them 
fell  every  time  he  discharged  his  weapon.  The 
riflemen  had  been  ordered  to  keep  five  feet 
apart,  and  take  the  leading  men  of  the  enemy 
in  front  of  them;  but  the  enemy  were  not  long 
in  discovering  the  cause  of  the  great  mortality 
among  their  officers,  and  the  captain  of  one  of 
the  companies,  who  still  remained  in  his  saddle, 


WARM   PRAISE    FOR    THE    RIFLEMEN         465 

for  lie  was  beyond  the  line  of  the  riflemen, 
wheeled  his  command  out  of  the  road,  and  led 
the  way  in  an  attack  upon  the  sharpshooters, 
probably  considering  it  an  easy  matter  to  drive 
them  from  the  ground. 

Most  of  the  fences,  where  there  were  any, 
had  been  thrown  down  by  the  movements  of  the 
army,  and  there  was  an  opening  near  this  captain ; 
but  he  did  not  live  to  reach  it.  His  first  lieuten- 
ant dashed  into  his  place,  rallied  the  men,  the 
riflemen  slowly  retreating  before  them,  but  wheel- 
ing about  and  firing  all  the  time  as  they  did  so. 
The  captain's  successor  almost  instantly  followed 
him  to  the  ground.  Lieutenant  Blount,  next  in 
rank  to  Butters  —  for  the  men  of  the  company, 
who  elected  their  own  officers,  or  at  least  recom- 
mended them  for  commissions,  hardly  knew  any 
other  skill  except  that  in  the  use  of  the  rifle,  — • 
was  in  charge  in  this  portion  of  the  line.  Captain 
Ripley's  command  had  been  stretched  out  till  it 
covered  two  companies  of  the  enemy,  and  very 
soon  not  an  officer  was  left  in  them. 

The  second  of  the  enemy's  regiments  was 
thrown   into   the   field  where    the    riflemen  were, 


466  AT   THE   FRONT 

and  were  advancing  at  a  rapid  gallop  to  fall 
upon  the  flank  of  their  assailants.  Captain  Rip- 
ley moved  his  company  farther  hack ;  hut  the 
officers  of  the  second  regiment  hegan  to  drop 
from  their  saddles,  and  many  of  their  men  also, 
as  they  hurried  to  the  head  of  the  column. 
The  fall  of  so  many  of  its  men  in  the  second 
regiment  was  too  much  for  their  nerves  in  the 
their  officers. 

Another  regiment  had  moved  forward  in  the 
field  on  the  left  of  the  enemy's  column,  and 
charged  upon  the  leading  companies  of  Colonel 
Milliken's  command,  who  fought  with  desperate 
bravery;  hut  the  regiment  from  the  field  on  their 
right,  still  falling  before  the  riflemen,  crowded 
through  the  broken  fence,  and  carried  a  panic 
into  the  main  column.  The  enemy  had  evi- 
dently had  enough  of  the  sharpshooters,  both 
the  first  and  the  second  regiment,  and  in  a  mass 
they  bolted  into  the  field.  A  captain  from 
farther  in  the  rear  took  the  command  of  the 
force  at  this  time,  and  by  vigorous  action  re- 
formed the  column,  the  head  of  which  had  suf- 
fered   a    severe    loss.       The    command    by    this 


WARM    PRAISE    FOR    THE    RIFLEMEN         467 

retreat  had  moved  out  of  the  range  of  the 
riflemen. 

The  Confederate  force  was  already  badly 
beaten  in  spite  of  its  superior  numbers,  but 
Colonel  Milliken  pursued.  The  enemy  appeared 
to  have  better  horses  than  any  force  which  the 
Riverlawns  had  encountered,  and  they  were 
pounded  with  the  flat  of  the  sabres  to  their  ut- 
most speed.  At  any  rate,  the  force  gained  con- 
siderably on  its  pursuers. 

Captain  Ripley's  command  had  lost  its  occu- 
pation in  the  field  on  the  Union  left ;  and  he 
saw  the  panic,  as  well  as  the  pursuit  of  Colonel 
Milliken.  Though  he  was  the  oldest  man  in 
the  regiment,  he  was  one  of  the  most  active 
mentally,  as  he  was  physically ;  and  he  counter- 
marched his  command  till  the  head  of  it  was 
where  the  rear  of  the  enemy's  column  had  been. 
Then  he  crossed  the  road,  and  was  somewhat 
ahead  of  the  right  of  the  Ohio  regiment.  He  led 
the  way  himself.  The  horses,  raised  mostly  by 
the  men  themselves,  were  of  the  best  breeds,  and 
some  of  them  had  taken  part  in  the  races  of  the 
State.     He  reached  the  woods  almost  as  soon  as 


468  AT  THE  FRONT 

the  head  of  the  enemy's  column ;  and,  placing 
his  men,  the  deadly  aim  of  the  riflemen  began  to 
make  havoc  in  the  Confederate  ranks. 

While  the  sharpshooters  were  thus  engaged, 
Major  Lyon's  battalion  dashed  out  from  beyond 
the  woods,  and  struck  in  a  furious  charge  against 
the  head  of  the  column.  The  lieutenant-colonel 
and  the  major  had  already  fallen ;  and  as  soon 
as  Captain  Ripley  got  his  eye  upon  him,  the 
captain  who  had  become  the  acting  colonel  fell 
back  on  the  haunches  of  his  steed,  and  was 
borne  by  the  animal  out  of  the  reach  of  danger, 
if  he  was  not  already  dead.  Major  Batterson's 
battery  had  been  sent  on  other  duty  for  that 
day,  or  perhaps  the  engagement  would  have  been 
finished  by  this  time. 

Major  Belthorpe's  battalion  broke  out  of  the 
woods,  or  more  properly  grove  of  large  walnuts, 
coming  from  its  centre,  and  charged  into  the 
middle  of  the  enemy's  force.  Major  Truman 
appeared  from  the  end  of  the  grove  nearest  to 
the  road,  and  galloped  his  men  to  the  left  of 
the  Confederate  column.  The  three  battalions 
had  movecl  at  very  nearly  the  same  moment. 


WARM  PRAISE   FOR   THE   RIFLEMEN  469 

By  this  time  the  enemy  was  well-nigh  wearied 
out,  perhaps  as  much  by  the  dismay  the  rifle- 
men had  created  as  by  the  fatigue  of  the  action 
in  the  road,  and  were  not  in  condition  to  meet 
the  reckless  charge  of  the  Riverlawns.  Captain 
Ripley's  command  had  again  lost  their  occupa- 
tion ;  for  the  men  could  not  fire  without  endan- 
gering the  Union  force,  as  the  battalions  spread 
out  along  the  entire  line.  Another  captain  had 
taken  the  vacant  place  of  the  colonel  ;  but  he 
appeared  to  be  powerless  to  rally  his  force  for 
a  desperate  sally  against  their  assailants,  and  led 
them  with  all  speed  towards  Overall  Creek. 

At  the  same  time  it  was  seen  that  Johnson's 
division  was  moving  down  the  road  to  the  same 
point.  Apparently  the  enemy  on  the  other  side 
of  the  stream  had  discovered  that  the  brigade  of 
cavalry  was  hard  pressed  ;  for  Colonel  Lyon  with 
his  field-glass  discovered  three  batteries  moving 
out  from  the  Confederate  works,  and  hastening 
to  the  ford.  He  immediately  ordered  a  halt ;  for 
he  believed  that  a  farther  advance  would  involve 
the  loss  of  many  of  his  men,  without  any  advan- 
tage to  compensate  for  it. 


470  AT   THE   FRONT 

"  You  think  we  have  gone  far  enough,  Colo- 
nel Lyon,  do  you  ?  "  asked  Colonel  Milliken,  rid- 
ing up  to  him. 

"I  think  we  have  gone  as  far  as  our  duty 
warrants  us  in  going;  for  I  have  seen  with  my 
glass  no  less  than  three  batteries  approaching 
the  ford,  and  of  course  they  will  open  on  us  as 
soon  as  they  can  do  so  without  peril  to  their 
own  people,"  replied  the  commander  of  the  River- 
lawns. 

"  Perhaps  we  have  punished  that  brigade  enough 
for  one  day ;  for  I  believe  your  riflemen  have 
killed  off  all  the  officers  of  two  of  their  regi- 
ments," added  the  Ohio  colonel. 

"  Not  all  of  them,"  said  Colonel  Lyon,  with  a 
smile  of  incredulity. 

"  Of  course  I  do  not  mean  every  one  of  them, 
but  a  great  many.  I  was  absolutely  amazed  when 
I  saw  Captain  Ripley  stretch  out  his  men,  and 
then  bring  down  the  commander  of  the  force  with 
his  own  rifle." 

"  He  does  that  every  time." 

"  His  company  is  a  very  important  element  in 
your  strength,  Colonel." 


WAEM    PRAISE    FOR    THE    RIFLEMEN  471 

"  It  is,  when  he  can  get  his  men  into  a  favor- 
able position,"  replied  Colonel  Lyon. 

"  They  all  appear  to  be  absolutely  sure  with 
their  rifles  to  bring  down  the  enemy.  I  should 
like  to  have  such  a  company  in  my  regiment ; 
for  I  really  believe  that  Ripley's  men  did  more 
to  win  the  day  for  us  than  my  whole  regiment. 
His  men  made  terrible  havoc  with  the  enemy's 
officers  ;  for  with  them  it  is  not  merely  the  loss  of 
a  man,  but  the  loss  of  the  controlling  force  of 
the  regiment.  But  where  did  you  pick  up  so 
many  riflemen  so  sure  every  time  with  their 
weapons  ?  " 

"  Not  sure  every  time,  but  generally ;  though  I 
believe  the  three  commissioned  offlcers  of  the 
command  rarely  fail  to  hit  the  mark,  perhaps 
because  they  never  fire  unless  they  are  sure  of 
their  aim.  My  son,  who  is  the  senior  major 
of  my  regiment,  had  about  half  a  company  of 
these  same  men,  including  the  present  officers, 
and  did  very  valuable  service  with  them  at  Mill 
Spring  a  year  ago.  I  found  them  in  that  vicinity, 
and  most  of  them  belong  in  Pulaski,  Ivussell,  and 
Adair  Counties.     They  have  all  been  hunters  at 


472  .  AT   THE   FRONT 

home,  and  taken  part  in  all  the  rifle-shoots  in 
that  part  of  Kentucky.  But  they  did  not  enlist 
at  that  time,  though  I  had  it  in  mind  to  get  up 
a  company  of  mounted  riflemen." 

"  Are  you  a  Kentuckian,  Colonel  Lyon  ?  "  asked 
the  other. 

"  I  am  not.  I  was  born  and  brought  up  in  the 
State  of  New  Hampshire,  and  went  to  Kentucky 
just  before  the  war  broke  out ;  for  my  brother 
left  his  plantation,  from  which  my  command  gets 
its  name,  to  me  by  his  will." 

"  It  is  about  time  for  us  to  return  to  our 
camps." 

The  two  commands  separated,  and  marched  to 
headquarters ;  and  Colonel  Lyon  reported  to  Gen- 
eral Thomas  what  had  been  done  on  the  Wilkin- 
son road.  He  was  sent  immediately  to  re-enforce 
Colonel  Starkweather,  who  was  guarding  a  bridge 
on  the  Jefferson  turnpike.  When  he  arrived  at 
his  destination  he  found  the  guard  assailed  by  a 
cavalry  force.  As  the  position  was  favorable,  the 
colonel,  after  he  had  reported  to  the  colonel  in 
command,  and  with  his  permission,  sent  the  rifle-, 
men  to  the  bank  of  the  stream :   and  when  the 


WARM   PRAISE    FOR    THE    RIFLEMEN         473 

Confederate  force  charged,  its  officers  began  to 
drop  from  their  saddles.  Deck's  battalion  charged 
with  its  usual  fury  upon  the  enemy,  and  the  ma- 
jor was  once  tempted  to  take  part  with  Ceph  in 
riding  down  the  commander  of  the  assailants ;  but 
he  had  been  entreated  by  his  father  and  Colonel 
Gordon  not  to  perform  that  feat  again,  and  he 
resisted  the  temptation;  but  he  kept  his  men 
busy  till  the  enemy  was  repulsed,  largely  by  the 
force  of  Colonel  Starkweather.  Again  the  colonel 
reported  to  the  general,  and  then  went  into  camp. 


474  AT   THE   FRONT 


CHAPTER   XXXVI 

THE  RESULT  OF  THE  GREAT  BATTLE 

General  Bragg  believed  that  his  army  was 
outnumbered  by  that  of  General  Rosecrans,  and 
therefore  he  awaited  an  attack.  But  an  offensive 
movement  was  not  made  on  the  30  th,  as  the 
enemy  expected,  and  they  were  greatly  disap- 
pointed. In  the  evening  the  Confederate  com- 
mander-in-chief determined  to  make  the  initiatory 
movement  himself,  and  he  arranged  his  divisions 
for  a  great  battle  on  the  following  day.  He  had 
an  immense  advantage  over  his  opponent  in  the 
possession  of  the  roads  diverging  from  Murfrees- 
boro,  and  in  the  thorough  knowledge  of  himself 
and  his  subordinate  commanders  of  the  country 
where  he  was  operating. 

On  the  morning  of  the  last  day  of  the  year 
1862  both  commanders  were  prepared  for  battle, 
and  it  proved  to  be  the  eventful  day  of  the 
four  days'  conflict.     The  Confederate  generals  re- 


THE    RESULT    OF    THE    GREAT    BATTLE        475 

alized  that  they  had  reached  the  hinge  of  events ; 
and  they  were  inspired  to  do  all  that  Southern 
hravery,  dash,  and  skill  could  accomplish.  The 
Union  army  at  the  point  of  attack  was  not  in 
condition  for  the  movement  that  was  made  upon 
them.  The  commander  of  the  division  was  not 
on  the  line,  or  near  enough  to  control  the  force ; 
and  the  general  of  brigade  intrusted  with  the 
defence  of  the  flank  was-  absent.  The  line  of 
battle  had  been  thinly  spread  out  to  secure  space 
for  a  battery. 

The  sun  rose  in  that  latitude  at  twenty  min- 
utes past  seven ;  and  before  that  time  General 
Hardee,  with  nearly  one-half  of  the  Confederate 
infantry  on  the  field,  made  a  long  detour,  and 
struck  the  right  of  the  Union  army.  It  was  a 
tremendous  onslaught,  as  though  the  enemy  had 
become  desperate  in  their  determination  to  de- 
cide the  battle  in  their  favor.  In  the  unprepared 
condition  of  the  right  wing  the  Confederates  had 
it  very  nearly  all  their  own  way.  General 
Bragg  claimed  that  this  portion  of  General  Rose- 
crans's  army  was  surprised,  and  doubtless  the  at- 
tack from    the  quarter  from  which  it    came  was 


476  AT   THE   FRONT 

unexpected ;  but  all  the  usual  provisions  against 
surprise  had  been  provided  for,  and  there  was 
a  skirmish-line  in  front.  The  right  of  the  na- 
tional line  as  it  was  then  had  been  overwhelmed. 

The  movements  of  both  armies  were  too  com- 
plicated to  be  followed  in  their  many  variations, 
and  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  forenoon  the  result 
looked  doubtful.  An  attempt  was  made  by 
Bragg  to  transfer  the  right  of  his  line  to  the 
left,  which  was  evidence  that  McCook  and 
Thomas  were  holding  their  own  on  the  right 
of  the  Union  line.  The  latter  repulsed  and 
drove  back  Hardee's  force,  and  successfully  es- 
tablished a  new  line,  thus  greatly  changing  the 
condition  of  affairs  on  the  right.  But  the  battle 
continued  in  all  its  complications  on  the  first 
day  of  the  new  year  with  varying  success  and 
defeat. 

On  the  2d  of  January  it  looked  as  though 
Bragg  would  resume  the  offensive  on  his  right. 
Crittenden's  line  had  been  extended  across  the 
river,  and  the  Confederate  general  believed  that 
Polk's  divisions  would  be  attacked  if  the  force 
of  Crittenden  opposite  Breckinridge  on  the  other 


THE   RESULT    OF    THE    GREAT    BATTLE        477 

side  of  the  river  was  not  driven  from  its  posi- 
tion. The  latter  made  an  onslaught  on  the  bri- 
gades in  front  of  him  as  fierce  and  persistent  as 
the  contingency  of  the  occasion  demanded  of 
him.  This  was  on  the  east  side  of  Stone  River ; 
and  Crittenden  perceived  that  his  left  on  the 
other  side  of  the  stream  was  under  heavy  pres- 
sure, the  attack  being  made  in  support  of  the 
movement  of  Breckinridge.  General  Beatty  was 
hard  pushed,  with  two  other  brigades ;  their  lines 
were  broken,  and  the  enemy  pursued  them  towards 
the  river.  In  this  emergency  Crittenden  called 
upon  his  chief  of  artillery  to  mass  all  the  guns 
he  could  gather  to  relieve  Beatty.  Battery  after 
battery  was  placed,  till  fifty-eight  guns  were 
ready  to  open  upon  the  enemy.  The  brigade  of 
Price  and  the  Ninth  Kentucky  Regiment,  under 
Colonel  Grider,  were  dislodged,  and  retreated  to 
the  river,  losing  heavily  at  every  step  they 
moved  during  the  pursuit  of  the  enemy.  At 
this  perilous  situation  of  the  left  of  the  Union 
army,  the  concentrated  batteries  opened  fire  from 
the  elevations  on  the  other  side  of  the  river, 
producing  a  tremendous  effect  upon  the  enemy ; 


478  AT    THE    FRONT 

for  Breckmriclge  recoiled,  and  fell  back,  suffer- 
ing very  severe  loss. 

At  this  critical  time  for  the  foe,  Colonel  Miller, 
commanding  the  Third  Brigade  of  Negley's  divis- 
ion, with  a  portion  of  Stanley's  cavalry,  charged 
across  Stone  River,  less  than  a  tenth  of  a  mile  wide, 
upon  the  partially  demoralized  enemy.  A  num- 
ber of  guns  and  the  colors  of  the  Confederates 
were  captured.  General  Jeff  C.  Davis,  command- 
ing the  first  division  of  the  right  wing,  sent  a 
re-enforcement  of  a  brigade  over  the  river,  and 
then  followed  himself  with  two  more.  Being 
the  superior  in  rank  on  the  ground,  he  assumed 
command.  He  threw  out  a  skirmish-line,  and 
soon  encountered  the  foe,  somewhat  restored 
after  the  panic  ;  and  a  brisk  engagement  fol- 
lowed, which  was  the  last  of  any  consequence. 

Colonel  Miller  s  movement  was  an  exceedingly 
important  one ;  for  it  defeated  Bragg's  attempt 
to  get  possession  of  the  elevated  ground  on  the 
west  side  of  the  river,  and  had  a  great  influence 
on  the  final  result  of  the  four  daj's'  battle.  It 
was  a  hazardous  venture  ;  and  he  was  ordered 
by  a  general   officer,  though    not  his   immediate 


THE   RESULT    OF    THE    GREAT    BATTLE        479 

commander,  to  refrain  from  making  his  charge 
over  the  stream;  but  he  disregarded  the  com- 
mand, dashed  over,  and  threw  his  force  furiously 
on  the  enemy.  Breckinridge,  after  his  first  suc- 
cess, lost  the  heights  he  had  held  in  the  beginning ; 
and  his  reckless  attempts  to  recover  what  he  had 
lost  cost  him  in  casualties  two  thousand  men. 

General  Bragg  had  lost  the  last  important  en- 
gagement of  the  long  battle.  The  third  day  of 
January  brought  weather  which  was  not  favorable 
for  military  operations,  and  he  made  no  offensive 
movement.  General  Thomas,  re-enforced  by  the 
arrival  of  Spear's  brigade,  drove  the  enemy  away 
from  his  front,  opening  his  line  in  the  centre. 

That  night  Bragg  retreated ;  and  he  explained 
that  "  common  prudence  and  the  safety  of  my 
army,  upon  which  the  safety  of  our  cause  de- 
pended, left  no  doubt  in  my  mind  as  to  the 
necessity  of  my  withdrawal  from  so  unequal  a 
contest."  He  alludes  to  his  knowledge  that 
Rosecrans  had  received  re-enforcements  as  also  a 
reason  for  his  retirement.  With  the  exception 
of  the  arrival  of  the  single  brigade  of  Spear, 
there    were    no    additions    to    the    Union    army. 


480  AT    THE    FRONT 

But  Bragg  retreated  from  the  ground  he  had 
held  behind  his  field-works  for  four  days,  leav- 
ing the  army  of  Rosecrans  in  possession  of  the 
battlefield.  Nevertheless,  Stone  River  can  hardly 
be  regarded  as  a  decisive  victory. 

Both  of  the  commanders-in-chief  believed  that 
they  fought  superior  numbers ;  Rosecrans  think- 
ing that  the  Confederate  force  consisted  of  over 
60,000,  and  Bragg  that  the  Union  army  amounted 
to  70,000.  The  loss  of  the  former  was  11,577, 
and  of  the  latter  about  10,000. 

The  Riverlawn  regiment  was  actively  employed 
during  this  last  day  of  the  battle,  though  not 
with  the  regular  force  of  the  centre.  The  cavalry 
of  the  enemy  passed  entirely  around  the  army  of 
General  Rosecrans,  endeavoring  to  capture  the 
wagon-trains,  and  were  often  engaged  with  the 
same  arm  of  the  Union  army.  Colonel  Lyon 
had  a  very  smart  engagement  with  a  superior 
force  near  the  Lavergne  road.  He  had  been  di- 
rected to  look  out  for  the  safety  of  the  trains. 
He  had  crossed  Stone  River  at  a  ford  north  of 
the  left  wing  of  the  army,  and  reached  the  Leb- 
anon turnpike.     Moving  along  this  thoroughfare, 


THE   RESULT    OF   THE    GREAT    BATTLE        481 

Major  Lyon  had  discovered  a  cavalry  force  mov- 
ing south  on  the  Lavergne  road,  several  miles 
distant,  towards  a  group  of  wagons  with  their 
mules,  on  the  shore  of  a  creek,  and  near  a  piece 
of  woods,  many  of  which  were  on  the  battle- 
ground, and  in  all  the  vicinity  for  miles  from  it. 

Deck  stood  up  on  the  saddle  of  his  steed,  and 
used  his  glass  till  he  obtained  some  knowledge 
of  the  situation  in  the  distance.  The  enemy  were 
moving  at  a  lively  trot,  and  were  still  some  dis- 
tance from  the  wagons ;  but  he  had  no  doubt 
the  train  was  their  objective  point.  He  reported 
what  he  had  seen  to  the  colonel,  who  asked  him 
several  questions,  in  order  to  assure  himself  that 
his  son's  statement  was  correct.  But  Deck  satis- 
fied him;  and,  wheeling  his  command  to  the  left, 
the  regiment  crossed  the  fields,  and  came  .out  at 
the  woods,  where  the  riflemen  had  orders  to  post 
themselves  in  the  most  eligible  place  for  their  work. 

Deck  was  sent  with  his  battalion  through  the 
woods,  and  came  out  just  as  the  enemy  appeared 
in  the  road  abreast  of  the  train.  The  second  and 
third  battalions  were  concealed  by  the  trees  from 
the  view  of   the   foe,  and  the   Confederate    com- 


482  AT   THE   FRONT 

mander  doubtless  regarded  the  evident  purpose 
of  the  battalion  to  charge  his  regiment  as  a  reck- 
less piece  of  bravado.  He  had  formed  his  line  ; 
and  he  did  not  wait  to  receive  a  charge,  but 
dashed  into  the  field,  intent  upon  overwhelming' 
and  capturing  the  presumptuous  battalion.  But 
they  had  hardly  passed  through  the  broken-down 
fence,  before  the  leader  of  the  command  dropped 
from  his  saddle,  no  doubt  a  victim  of  Captain 
Ripley's  unerring  aim.  A  second  officer  imme- 
diately followed  the  first  to  the  ground. 

Major  Lyon  ordered  his  companies  to  fall  back. 
He  had  baited  his  hook  with  his  comparatively 
small  force,  and  drawn  a  whole  regiment  into 
the  field,  while  there  apjjeared  to  be  another 
remaining  in  the  road,  perhaps  as  a  reserve, 
though  probably  the  commander  did  not  think 
of  such  a  thing,  as  he  expected  to  wipe  out  the 
battalion  in  front  of  him  at  a  single  blow.  Deck 
retired  his  force  a  few  rods  in  order  to  give  the 
riflemen  an  opportunity  to  do  their  deadly  work. 
The  cracking  of  the  rifles  was  almost  continuous, 
and  the  men  in  the  ranks  tumbled  to  the  ground 
in  rapid  succession.     Deck  fell  back  a  few  rods 


THE    RESULT    OF   THE    GREAT    BATTLE       483 

more,  to  permit  a  farther  advance  of  the  enemy's 
line.  The  riflemen  scattered  more  than  at  first, 
when  the  hurry  did  not  permit  them  to  take  the 
best  positions. 

The  enemy  hastened  forward,  as  Deck  desired 
they  should,  and  the  riflemen  moved  to  better 
places.  But  the  fall  of  so  many  of  his  men 
appalled  the  new  commander ;  though  he  kept  in 
the  rear  of  his  men,  as  his  superior  had  not, 
paying  the  penalty  of  his  rashness  before  he  had 
time  to  order  a  charge.  In  a  few  minutes  not 
less  than  fifty  men  had  fallen,  and  the  major  in 
command,  as  he  appeared  to  be,  evidently  began 
to  take  a  new  view  of  the  situation;  for  he  could 
not  help  seeing  the  necessity  of  escaping  from 
the  destructive  fire  from  the  woods,  and  he  or- 
dered a  retrograde  movement. 

Major  Lyon  had  expected  this,  and  the  trumpet 
sounded  a  blast  which  was  a  signal  for  Captain 
Ripley's  company  to  cease  firing.  For  a  consid- 
erable distance  there  was  a  selvage  of  woods 
alongside  the  road,  behind  which  the  train  had 
taken  shelter,  where  they  could  not  so  easily  be 
observed.     Deck  sent  a  message   to    the    captain 


484  AT   THE   FRONT 

of  the  rifle  force,  suggesting  that  he  should  post 
his  men  among  the  trees  there.  Then  Deck 
ordered  his  four  companies  to  charge  upon  the 
enemy ;  and  at  this  movement  Colonel  Lyon 
sent  Major  Truman's  battalion  between  the  enemy 
in  the  field  and  the  road,  while  Major  Belthorpe's 
command  Avent  to  the  support  of  Deck.  It  was 
a  furious  charge,  and  the  right  of  the  enemy's 
line  began  to  give  way  before  an  attack  in  their 
front  and  rear. 

The  force  in  the  road,  which  had  waited  there 
for  the  destruction  of  Deck's  battalion,  awoke 
from  its  lethargy  at  the  sudden  appearance  of 
such  an  increased  force,  and  began  to  move  into 
the  field.  The  leading  officer  seemed  to  be  the 
colonel  commanding,  as  Ripley  described  him ; 
and  he  did  not  learn  wisdom  from  the  fate  of  so 
many  of  the  other  regiment.  He  yelled,  and  he 
swore,  and  was  certainly  very  mad  at  the  check 
the  Riverlawns  had  given  him,  and  he  dashed  for- 
ward in  a  charge  upon  Truman's  battalion ;.  but 
he  had  not  passed  the  broken  fence  before  he  slid 
from  his  saddle  to  the  ground.  The  sharp- 
shooters did  not  intermit  their  fire ;   and  as  this 


THE   EESULT    OF   THE    GREAT    BATTLE        485 

regiment  had  advanced  some  distance  beyond  the 
second,  it  had  to  countermarch  to  reach  the 
broken  fence,  and  the  riflemen  dropped  its  officers 
and  men  as  they  moved  forward. 

The  two  battalions  engaged  fought  with  des- 
perate fury,  as  they  always  did  on  such  an  oc- 
casion. Ripley's  company  soon  dropped  many  in 
the  ranks  of  the  regiment ;  and  when  they  saw 
what  an  immense  loss  they  were  suffering,  they 
broke,  and  fled  to  the  fields  on  the  other  side 
of  the  road  in  spite  of  the  efforts  of  the  officers 
who  were  left  to  rally  them.  Between  the  upper 
and  the  nether  millstone  the  regiment  in  the 
field  were  practically  ground  to  powder.  Colonel 
Lyon  sent  an  order  to  Major  Truman  to  fall 
back  into  the  open  field,  as  much  to  open  a  way 
for  the  riflemen  to  do  more  effective  work  on 
the  force  in  front  of  Deck,  as  to  enable  the  regi- 
ment in  the  field  to  escape,  as  the  men  were  cer- 
tainly inclined  to  do.  As  soon  as  the  men  began 
to  feel  the  effect  of  the  rifle  balls,  they  became 
completely  demoralized,  and  fled  across  the  road 
to  join  those  who  had  fled  before. 

The  victory  was  complete  ;  the  train  was  saved, 


486  AT    THE   FKONT 

and  the  enemy  showed  no  disposition  to  renew 
the  engagement.  But  the  result  was  not  so  over- 
whelming as  might  have  appeared  at  first  glance. 
The  Confederates  were  in  two  regiments,  but  both 
were  small  in  numbers ;  and  the  disparity  in  force 
between  the  two  commands  could  not  have  ex- 
ceeded two  hundred,  and  perhaps  not  so  many  as 
that.  But  the  two  regiments  would  have  done 
better  if  they  had  been  consolidated  into  one 
under  an  able  colonel,  as  the  Riverlawns  were. 
The  Union  force  remained  at  the  place  till 
nearly  night  to  secure  the  train  from  any  moles- 
tation. The  enemy  had  retreated ;  and  in  the 
darkness  the  command  of  Colonel  Lyon  returned 
to  their  camp,  where  officers  and  men  listened 
with  intense  interest  to  the  accounts  of  the  great 
battery  duel  which  had  been  fought  a  short  time 
before.  The  next  morning  they  learned  with  sur- 
prise that  the  Confederate  army  had  retreated  in 
the  night.  On  the  fourth  day  of  the  month,  the 
Union  army  employed  all  the  time  in  burying  the 
dead,  and  on  the  following  day  took  possession  of 
Murfreesboro.  It  has  not  been  attempted  in  this 
volume  to  give  a  full  history  of  the  movements  of 


THE   RESULT   OF   THE   GREAT   BATTLE       487 

the  army.;  and  the  attention  of  the  reader  has 
been  mainly  confmed  to  the  operations  of  the 
Riverlawn  regiment  since  it  was  reorganized,  and 
especially  of  Deck  Lyon,  who,  unconsciously  to 
the  writer,  became  the  hero  of  the  volume,  as-  he 
was  of  its  predecessors. 

The  army  remained  for  the  next  six  months  in 
the  vicinity  of  Murfreesboro  ;  and  Deck's  bat- 
talion, either  by  itself  or  with  the  rest  of  the 
regiment,  were  engaged  in  various  operations  and 
expeditions,  and  in  spite  of  the  military  quiet 
which  prevailed  in  this  portion  of  the  South,  the 
hero  had  some  very  exciting  experiences.  When 
later  in  the  year  the  movement  of  the  army  to 
the  South  began  which  ended  in  the  battles  of 
Chickamauga,  Lookout  Mountain,  Chattanooga, 
and  "Marching  through  Georgia,"  the  Riverlawns 
were  not  kept  in  the  shade,  but  took  an  active 
part  in  the  events  which  enabled  the  lo^'al  people 
in  all  parts  of  the  country  to  realize  again  the 
blessings  of  An  Undiyhded  Union. 


OLIVER    OPTICS    BOOKS 


AU-Over-the- World  Library.    By  Oliver  Optic.    First  Series. 
Illustrated.     Price  per  volume,   $1.25. 

1.    A  Missing  Million;   or,  The  Adventures  of  Louis   Belgrade. 
3.    A  Millionaire   at  Sixteen;   ok,  The  Cruise  of  the  "Guardian 
Mother." 

3.  A  Yowng  Kniglit  Errant ;  or,  Cruising  in  the  West  Indies. 

4.  Strange  Siglits  Abroad;  or,  Adventures  in  European  Waters- 
No  author  has  come  before  the   public  during  the   present  generation  who 

has  achieved  a  larger  and  more  deserving  popularity  among  young  people  than 
"  Oliver  Optic."  His  stories  have  been  very  numerous,  but  they  have  been 
uniformly  excellent  in  moral  tone  and  literary  quality.  As  indicated  in  the 
general  title,  it  is  the  author's  intention  to  conduct  the  readers  01  this  enter- 
taining series  "  around  the  world."  As  a  means  to  this  end,  the  hero  of  the 
story  purchases  a  steamer  which  he  names  the  "  Guardian  Mother,"  and 
with  a  number  of  guests  she  proceeds  on  her  voyage.  —  Christian  Work,  N.  V. 

All-Over-the-World    Library.      By  Oliver  Optic.      Second 
Series.     Illustrated.     Price  per  volume,  $1.25. 

1.    American  Boys  Afloat;    or,  Cruising  in  the  Orient. 
3.     Tlie    IToung    JVavigators ;    or,    The    Foreign    Cruise     of    the 
"  Maud." 

3.  TJp  and.  Down  tUe  Nile  ;   or,  Young  Adventurers  in  Africa. 

4.  Asiatic  Breezes  ;  or.  Students  on  the  Wing. 

The  interest  in  these  stories  is  continuous,  and  there  is  a  great  variety  of 
exciting  incident  woven  into  the  solid  information  which  the  book  imparts  so 
generously  and  without  the  slig^htest  suspicion  of  dryness.  Manly  boys 
will  welcome  this  volume  as  cordially  as  they  did  its  predecessors.  —  Boston 
Gazette, 

AU-Over-the- World   Library,     By  Oliver  Optic.     Third  Se- 
ries.    Illustrated.     Price  per  volume,  $1.25. 

1.    Across  India ;  or.  Live  Boys  in  the  Far  East. 

3.     Half  Round  the  AVorld  ;  or,  Among  the  Uncivilized. 

3.  Four  Young  Explorers;  ok,  Sight-Seeing  in  the  Tropics. 

4.  Pacific  Shores ;  or.  Adventures  in  Eastern  Seas. 

Amid  such  new  and  varied  surroundings  it  would  be  surprising  indeed  if  the 
author,  with  his  faculty  of  making  even  the  commonplace  attractive,  did  not 
tell  an  intensely  interesting  story  of  adventure,  as  well  as  give  much  informa- 
tion in  regard  to  the  distant  countries  throug>h  which  our  friends  pass,  and 
the  strange  peoples  with  whom  they  are  brought  in  contact.  This  book,  and 
indeed  the  whole  series,  is  admirably  adapted  to  reading  aloud  in  the  family 
circle,  each  volume  containing  matter  which  will  interest  all  the  members  of 
the  family.  —  Boston  Budget. 

LEE  AND  SHEPARD,  BOSTON,  SEND  THEIR  COMPLETE  CATALOGUE  FREE. 


OLIVER  OPTIC'S  BOOKS 


The  Blue  and  the  Gray  —  Afloat.     By  Oliver  Optic     Six 

volumes.  Illustrated.  Beautiful  binding  in  blue  and  gray, 
with  emblematic  dies.  Cloth.  Any  volume  sold  separately. 
Price  per  volume,  $1.50. 

1.  Taken  by  the  Enemy.  4.     Stand  by  the  Union. 

2.  "Within  the  Enemy's  Lines.  5.    Fig-hting  for  the  Right. 

3.  On  the  Blockade.  6.    A  Victorious  Union. 

The  Blue  and  the  Gray — on  Land. 

1.  Brother  against  Brother.         :t.    A  Liieuteuaut  at  Eighteen. 

2.  In  the  Saddle.  4.    On  the  Staff. 

5.    At  the  Front. 

(  Volume  Six  in  preparation.") 

"There  never  has  been  a  more  interesting  writer  in  the  field  of  juvenile 
literature  than  Mr.  W.  T.  Adam^;,  who,  under  his  well-known  pseudonym,  is 
known  and  admired  by  every  boy  and  girl  in  the  country,  and  by  thousands 
who  have  .long  since  passed  the  boundaries  of  youth,  yet  who  remember  with 
pleasure  the  genial,  interesting  pen  that  did  so  much  to  interest,  instruct,  and 
entertain  their  younger  years.  'The  Blue  and  the  Gray'  is  a  title  that  is  suf- 
ficiently indicative  of  the  nature  and  spirit  of  the  latest  series,  while  the  name 
of  Oliver  Optic  is  sufficient  warrant  of  the  absorbing  style  of  narrative.  This 
series  is  as  bright  and  entertaining  as  any  work  that  Mr.  Adams  has  yet  put 
forth,  and  will  be  as  eagerly  perused  as  any  that  has  borne  his  name.  It  would 
not  be  fair  to  the  prospective  reader  to  deprive  him  of  the  zest  which  comes 
from  the  unexpected  by  entering  into  a  sj'nopsis  of  the  story.  A  word,  how- 
ever, should  be  said  in  regard  to  the  beauty  and  appropriateness  of  the  binding, 
which  makes  it  a  most  attractive  volume."  —  Boston  Budget. 

Woodville  Stories.     By  Oliver  Optic.     Six  volumes.     Illus- 
trated.   Any  volume  sold  separately.    Price  per  volume,  $1.25. 
1.  Rich  and  Humble;  ok.  The  Mission  of  Bertha  Grant. 
8.  In  School  and  Out;  o:t.  The  CoNctUEST  of  Richard  Grant. 

3.  Watch  and  Wait;  or.  The  Young  Fugitives. 

4.  Work  and  Win;  or.  Noddy  Newman  on  a  Cruise. 

5.  Hope  and  Have;  or,  Fanny  Grant  among  the  Indians 

6.  Haste  and  Waste;  or,  The  Young  Pilot  of  Lake  Champlain. 
"Though  w^e  are  not  so  young  as  we  once  were,  we  relished  these  stories 

almost  as  much  as  the  boys  and  girls  for  whom  they  were  written.  They  wee 
really  refreshing,  even  to  us.  There  is  much  in  them  which  is  calculater*.  13 
inspire  a  generous,  healthy  ambition,  and  to  make  distasteful  all  reading  tend- 
ing to  stimulate  base  desires."  —  Fitchburg  Reveille. 

The  Starry  Flag"  Series.    By  Oliver  Optic.     In  six  volumes. 

Illustrated.     Any  volume  sold  separately.     Price  per  volume, 

$1.25. 
1.  The  Starry  Flag;  or,  The  Young  Fisherman  of  Cape  Ann. 
8.  Breaking  Away;  or.  The  Fortunes  of  a  Student. 

3.  Seek  and  Find;  or.  The  Adventures  of  a  Smart  Boy. 

4.  Freaks  of  Fortune;  or.  Half  round  the  World. 
6.  Make  or  "Break;  or,  The  Rich  Man's  Daughter. 

6.  Down  the  River;  or,  Buck  Bradford  and  the  Tyrants, 
"Mr.  Adams,  the  celebrated  and  popularwriter,  familiarly  know^n  as  OLiVETt 
Optic,  seems  to  have  inexhaustible  funds  for  weaving  together  the  virtuf-;  of 
life;  and,  notwithstanding  he  has  written  scores  of  books,  the  same  fresnness 
and  novelty  run  through  them  all.  Some  people  think  the  sensational  element 
predominates.  Perhaps  it  does.  But  a  book  for  young  people  needs  this,  and 
so  long  as  good  sentiments  are  inculcated  such  books  ought  to  be  read." 

LEE  AND  SHEPARD,  BOSTON,  SEND  THEIR  COMPLETE  CATALOGUE  FREL 


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